Noodles

This is the home of Indomie, the world’s favourite instant noodle. So ubiquitous are these colourful packets of noodle blocks with seasoning powders that you don’t even have to boil your own kettle – there are street stalls dedicated to preparing them, sometimes slipping in ribbons of fresh vegetables or an egg poached in the cooking water to cut the synthetic yet compelling flavour. Of course there are other noodles available too and the masters of using these are the street traders. They can either be stir-fried with dark and sticky sauces, or added into spicy noodle soups. For the former, thick Chinese egg noodles are most commonly used for their springy texture and ability to absorb flavours. Fresh noodles tend to be better than dried, but always follow packet instructions to see if cooking is needed before adding to the wok. For soups, rice noodles are wonderful for their slippery texture and delicacy. I tend to use vermicelli rice noodles.