Fried Hokkien Mee is my family’s all time favourite. The ones we had in the restaurants or hawkers stalls are usually cooked with pork lard and pork meat.I am going to op for a healthier version without pork lard or meat since Im cooking at home. For a healthier choice!The impt and perhaps time consuming part is preparing the prawn stock but it’s worth all the effort when you see the plates all cleaned up.Also, I prefer using vermicelli to Laksa noodles (white rice noodles). However, either one is ok..Let’s start cooking…

Ingredients: Serves 6-7

• 200 g vermicelli (you can use white rice noodles (aka Laksa noodles according to yoir preference)
• 500 g yellow wheat noodles – rinse with hot water to remove grease
• 800ml water
• 350g (about 15-20 medium pieces) glass prawns – shelled and deveined
• 2 medium sized squid
• 150 g bean sprouts
• 6-7 stalks Chinese chives (koo chye) – cut into 2 inch length (replace with spring onions if unavailable)
• 5 eggs – beaten
• 6-7 cloves garlic – minced
• 8-9cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Seasoning:
2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
3 Dashes of white pepper (adjust to taste)
Vegetable oil

To serve:
1 – 2 small limes – halved
Sambal chilli

Directions
1. Rinse the prawns, peel off the shells and remove the veins. Keep the shells and head aside for the stock2. To prepare the prawn stock, put the shells and heads in a medium pot and stir fry for a minute until fragrant.

3. Add in water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 mins under low heat.

4. Clean and remove skin and gut from the squid. Leave the squid whole.

5. When the stock is ready, discard all the shells in the stock.

6. Turn up the heat of the stock and add in whole squid and bring to boil for 1 minute until it firms up. Do not overcook the squid or it’ll become rubbery.

7. Remove from stock and set aside. When it’s cooled, cut into ½ inch rings.

8. Next, add in the prawns and when they turn red and opaque, fish them out and put aside.

9. Add 3 tbsp vegetable oil into a heated wok or pan. Sauté the minced garlic for a few seconds and add in the beaten eggs.

10. Break and stir the eggs with the spatula until they are separated into small pieces.

11. Add in the vermicelli first, add a ladle or 2 of the stock and stir well. And you will see most of the stock is absorbed into the vermicelli.

12. Add in the rest of the noodles, and add a couple more ladles of stock. Mix well. And you will see the stock absorbed.

13. Add in the seasonings, prawns, squid, bean sprout and Chinese chives, along with the rest of the stock.

14. Mix all ingredients evenly and cook until most (but not all) of the stock is absorbed. It should be still be slightly saucy. If you do not have enough stock, you can use chicken stock or water…

15. Serve hot with a few squeezes of lime juice and a dollop ofsambal chili.