Fried Vegetarian Mee Sua Henghua Style 兴化式素炒面线

My spouse observes a full-day vegetarian diet on the 1st and 15th day of each lunar month. He usually buys his vegetarian meals outside but this year, due to my business which promotes healthy eating, I cook all his vegetarian meals. I use quality ingredients and take pains to serve new vegetarian dishes every time, unless he likes a certain dish and keeps asking for it. haha.....

As I am busy with work and sometimes travelling. I acknowledge that it's not easy to remember the two lunar dates. I have to circle the dates on the big calendar on my desk and also enter them on my mobile calendar to remind me. :P

Yesterday was the end of the month-long Hungry Ghost Festival, today happens to be the first day of the 8th lunar month. I cooked a vegetarian mee sua dish.

On a recent trip to Penang, I came across a handmade mee sua (vermiceili). It does not contain preservatives, is manufactured through traditional methods and thus not mass produced.

The seller taught me how to cook this handmade noodle so that I could appreciate the flavour and texture of this noodle. I cook it for the first time for my hubby's birthday. It was excellent when served in a broth. This time, I am frying it - a Henghua vegetarian dish which has toasted peanuts and seaweed as garnishes.

Ingredients for one person :

1 skein mee sua
1 baby carrots (shredded)
3 leaves of cabbage (sliced)
2 black fungus mushrooms (soak and slice)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic

For the following ingredients, I use a Chinese rice bowl for measurements:
1 bowl of bean sprouts
1 bowl of dried seaweed (to deep fry or toast)
half bowl raw peanuts (to fry or toast)

Seasoning (according to your taste) :
soy sauce
pepper
brown sugar

Optional :
1 egg (make an omelette and cut into strips)
coriander
spring onion
fried shallot and oil

Preparation :

1.  Prepare a bowl of cold water and add in some ice cubes. For immersing the fried mee sua after deep frying it.

2.   Deep fry the mee sua in hot oil for less than a minute if you want the colour of the noodles to remain white. My mee sua looks too brown because I fried it for 3 minutes. Quickly remove from the oil and soak it in the bowl of ice water. Once noodles softened, drain the water and let noodle cool.

3.  Toast the peanuts and seaweed. Set aside.

Note : Above photo - I deep fried extra skeins of mee sua to cook a non-vegan version.

Method :
1.   Heat wok, add shallot oil and then garlic.

2.   Fry the sliced mushrooms until fragrant, throw in the carrot and cabbage, fry until vegetables are softened. Add in the bean sprouts and egg, finally the noodles to mix well.

3.   Add the seasonings.

4.   Serve with toasted seaweeds and peanuts to top off the dish.

fried shallot oil

I always have a bowl of shallot oil at hand. Shallot oil is great for frying or adding it to noodle or certain soup dishes.

Peel and slice some shallots.
Heat oil in wok, brown the shallots in oil until fragrant.
Dish in a porcelain bowl and use when required.

This mee sua stays springy even after frying. Hubby loves this fried mee sua. I prefer the mee sua in a broth.


我先生每逢初一十五都全日吃素。之前他都是去外面买斋食吃, 今年因为我的养生保健生意, 我都亲自煮给家人吃。我和我的中医师们专注于食品营养、饮食健康、养生保健预防而研究的养生菜谱，让我们一家吃出健康, 吃出美丽！

因为我煮的斋食多变化, 现在每逢吃斋日, 先生都很期待。今天八月初一, 为他做了素炒面线。

这传统纯手工制作面线是我在槟城买的。商家教了我怎么煮才能更好的品尝到这面线风味独特的味道。照着指示煮出来的传统手工面线质地柔润, 真美味。