Name: Pork and Mushroom Noodles (Bakmi Jamur)
Yield: Makes 6–8 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) dried thin or wide wheat noodles or 2 lb (1 kg) fresh noodles; 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken stock; 2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided; 2 packages (1 lb/450 g each) frozen fish balls or meatballs, thawed; 1 teaspoon ground pepper, plus more to taste; 2 green onions, chopped, plus more for garnish; 1 yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) vegetable oil, divided; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1½ lb (680 g) ground pork, chicken, or turkey; ½ lb (225 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced, or 1 can (15 oz/425 g) straw mushrooms, drained; ¼ cup (60 ml) kecap manis, plus more for serving; Fine sea salt to taste; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; Tomato ketchup for serving; 1 bunch (¾ lb/340 g) baby bok choy, leaves separated, or other leafy greens; 3 tablespoons fried shallots, plus more for garnish; Sambal oelek for serving

Preparation info

Makes
6–8
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

Bakmi jamur—noodles topped with pork and mushrooms and sometimes served with fish balls or meatballs—is one of my favorite comfort foods. My siblings and I ate this dish as often as an American kid might eat spaghetti. I’ve always wondered where this dish came from, and in 2022, I got my answer upon my return to Jakarta. When Julia and my dad, Rudy, were dating in the 1960s, they would go to Bakmi Aboen, a hole-in-the-wall eater