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Malaysian-Style Fried Udon - Cabbage, shrimp, and fish cake in a dark brown sauce. Serve with cut chilies and soy sauce. Easy fried udon recipe.
Noodles are popular all over Asia, so it’s no surprise that noodle is a staple of many Malaysians.
Walk down any streets where there are street vendors or hawkers, you will see that most of the foods sold are noodle dishes.
Everyone loves and could always use a noodle dish, regardless of our ethnicity: Chinese, Malays, Indians, or Eurasians.
Even the foreign expatriates who live in Malaysia fall in love with local noodles dishes.
One of the differences of noodle dishes in Malaysia is the condiment that comes with the noodles.
The noodles can be soupy and comes in a broth or soup, or dry as in stir-fried noodles, or in between, such as char hor fun (fried flat rice noodles in a thick gravy), but the condiment is usually a small saucer of cut fresh chilies or pickled green chilies in soy sauce.
The fresh chilies are always red chilies, and sometimes bird’s eye chilies, or a combination of both.
This condiment is really very simple, but to us Malaysian, it’s indispensable and what makes our noodle dishes so incendiary delicious—the spicy kick that accompanies every mouthful of the noodles, with an extra dash of very good tasting soy sauce.
By the way, Malaysia produces some of the best soy sauce, but that will be another post.
Anyway, I disgress.
So back to my Malaysian-style fried udon.
Udon is Japanese, but the Malaysian-style udon can be found at restaurants in Malaysia.
In my recipe, I used fish cakes, which is a popular ingredient in many Malaysian noodle dishes.
With some shredded cabbage, shrimp, mushroom, carrot, and the generous use of sweet soy sauce, this humble Malaysian-style fried udon takes me back to Malaysia.
And the condiment of cut bird’s eye chilies gave me just the right amount of heat and extra flavors.
It was extremely delicious and absolutely satisfactory.
I love Japanese-style fried udon, which is cleaner in taste.
But give me a choice, I’d always opt for this sinful version.
Udon noodles are widely available in the US and everywhere now.
Try my Malaysian-style fried udon recipe and I bet you will instantly fall in love with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 386 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Malaysian Style Fried Udon
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Malaysian-style Fried Udon
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200g) fresh udon
- 2 garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon oil, lard preferred
- 3-5 shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 6-8 slices fish cakes
- 4-5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms or king trumpet mushrooms, sliced into pieces
- 2 mini carrots, peeled and sliced into thin pieces
- 1/3 cups shredded cabbage , or napa cabbage
- bird’s eye chilies, cut
- soy sauce
Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons sweet soy sauce, kecap manis
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 dashes white pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the udon under cold running water, drain, and set aside. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce and stir to blend well. Set aside.
- Prepare the soy sauce and chopped chilies in a small saucer. Just add some soy sauce to the chopped chilies.
- Heat a wok and add the oil (or lard). When the oil is fully heated, add the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the shrimp and fish cake, and stir-fry until the shrimp is halfway cooked. Then add the mushroom, carrot, and napa cabbage, and stir for a few moments.
- Add the udon noodles to the wok, followed by the sauce. Stir continuously to combine all the ingredients. Cook for a little while, stirring a few times to ensure the udon noodles are heated through. Dish out and serve immediately with the cut chilies and soy sauce condiment.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this recipe many times now. It is easy to make and really delicious! Thanks!
Thanks!
Hi! Can I replace the sweet sauce with something else as I don’t have any at home! Thanks in advance!
Hello! When should I add the mushrooms? Thanks!
Double thumbs up! :D Thanks for this delicious recipe!
This recipe is delicious! I throw in minced pork or whatever I have in the fridge with the udon noodles. Comes out great every time.
Dee-lish! I am from Ipoh now living in Vancouver and my mom is a Penang nyonya. I have cooked many of your Malaysian and nyonya recipes and they are all awesome and authentic! Way to go Bee.
Thanks Pam.