I have a god sister, I call her Hua Jie, but she is really more like my nanny. She took care of me since I was born. She does not read nor write, but she cooks the greatest dishes I know. I think it is because they are homecooked, and every dish is prepared with love. I started this blog to share the recipes with my children, but it is as much a tribute to Hua Jie since many of the recipes are my attempts to recreate what she used to cook for me. I like every thing she cooks, and there are still so many that I have not tried or replicated successfully. She does not have any recipe, and I don’t believe she ever used a measuring cup or spoon. Whenever I asked her over the phone how to prepare a dish, it is always add a little of this and a little of that. At least I get the list of ingredients to start with!

Although EK usually doesn’t like Mee Tai Mak and Char Siew, he gave thumbs up on this one. He went back for seconds and ate my share! I think I have gotten it right! Here is the little this and that with measurements, so that I can easily whip this up again the next time!

• Prep Time: 1 hours (most of the time goes into picking bean sprouts)
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb Mee Tai Mak (Teochew rice noodles)
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup fresh Shitake mushrooms, shredded
• 2 cups beans sprouts, picked clean of roots
• 1 cup fresh green peas
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 cup char siew, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 cup fried omelette, thinly sliced
• Fried shallots for garnish
• Cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the Mee Tai Mak and stir until they starts to float to the surface. Rinse with warm water. Drain and set aside. The Mee Tai Mak should be soft and slippery.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large wok over medium high heat.
3. Add the minced garlic and fry until fragrant.
4. Add the sliced mushrooms. Stir fry for another minute.
5. Turn up heat. Add the bean sprouts, green peas, and shredded carrots. Stir fry for another minute.
6. Add the drained Mee Tai Mak and sliced Char Siew.  Add 2 Tbsp of water. Stir fry for another minute.
7. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and ground pepper. Stir until sauce is evenly distributed.
8. Stir in the sliced omelette.
9. Transfer to serving dish.
10. Garnish with cilantro and fried shallots.
11. Serve hot. It’s delicious!