Springy noodles coated in a simple yet flavourful sauce, topped with minced tofu and char siu – my vegan take on Sarawakian Kolo Mee.
In light of Malaysia Day, I thought of sharing one of my favourite Sarawakian dishes – Kolo Mee. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted the OG kolo mee in Sarawak, but there’s a particular stall that sells kolo mee at the Yulek, Cheras night market and it’s one of my go-to spots. The noodles are literally drenched in oil, and adorned with a generous amount of minced pork and char siu.
Kolo mee is like the sister to wan tan mee, and I don’t think we talk about her enough. Whereas wan tan mee is drenched in a dark sauce, kolo mee is light in appearance. Don’t let the colour fool you though, because the noodles are the real star here. Pork lard is used traditionally, however shallot oil is a good alternative. A dash of soy sauce and sprinkle of MSG later, and you’re left with a rich, umami, fragrant plate of noodles. I hope you’re salivating.
I have a tofu char siu recipe on my blog already, but the one you see here is a seitan version I’ve been testing. The recipe will be out soon!
Notes
- Kolo mee noodles contain egg, but I found ramen to be a good substitute.
- I like pickled green chili, but you can serve with red chili too.
More noodles for you to try:
- Easy Peanut Noodles
- Vegan Kimchi Bibim Guksu 김치비빔국수 (Spicy Cold Kimchi Noodles)
- Vegan Curry Laksa
- Vegan Fish Head Bee Hoon Soup 鱼头米粉
If you made this recipe, do leave a comment and rating below because I love hearing your feedback. Make sure to tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss so that I can see your recreations!
Vegan Sarawakian Kolo Mee
Ingredients
Minced tofu
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 90 g tofu thawed
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- white pepper to taste
Noodles
- 160 g fresh noodles
- 3 tbsp shallot oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- MSG to taste, optional
To serve
- vegan char siu
- 2 heads bok choy
- green scallions to top
- pickled green chili
Instructions
Prepare shallot oil
- Heat a large pan over medium-heat. Once it's hot, add in oil and fry shallots over medium-low heat. Remove the shallots once they turn golden brown, and reserve 3 tbsp of shallot oil for the noodles later.
Minced tofu
- Squeeze all the liquid out of the thawed tofu, then crumble into small pieces.
- In the same pan over medium heat, fry garlic until fragrant then add the crumbled tofu, cook for 1 minute. Season with sauces, and white pepper to taste. Add a bit of water if it appears too dry.
Assemble noodles
- Cook noodles according to the package instructions. Remove the noodles and place into cold water to stop the cooking. Use the same pot to blanch the bok choy.
- Combine shallot oil, soy sauce and MSG in a big bowl, then coat the noodles in the sauce well. Top with minced tofu, vegan char siu, bok choy and garnish with scallions and fried shallots.
Notes
- Kolo mee noodles contain egg, but I found ramen to be a good substitute.
- I like pickled green chili, but you can serve with red chili too.
- Slice 5 large green chilies into equal pieces. Transfer to a clean, air-tight and heat-proof glass jar.
- In a pot, combine ½ cup of water, ½ cup of rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer for a minute.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the green chilies. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before eating, however they taste better overnight.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.