Adam Liaw says most of the favourite family meals he ate as a child were made in one big wok, pan, dish or pot – hence the title of his new cookbook, Adam’s Big Pot.

Published today and dedicated to his grandmother and son, the book features a wide range of Asian-influenced recipes – from Vietnamese salad to lamb vindaloo and Japanese soufflé cheesecake – which he now cooks for his own family.

The former MasterChef winner and current host of SBS’s Destination Flavour says the dishes are creative, yet also easy to prepare.

“Mee goreng translates simply as ‘fried noodles’ in Malay,” Liaw says in the introduction to this recipe, which serves four.

“There are many variations across Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, but the version that has really captured hearts abroad is the one available at the mamak stalls of Malaysia, originally created by the South Indian Tamil Muslim communities, with tomato, sweet soy sauce and just a hint of curry spice.”

Mee Goreng

Ingredients

3 tbsp garlic oil or 3 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped and fried in 3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 chicken thigh fillets, skin off and thinly sliced
12 raw prawns, peeled and de-veined
2 pak choy, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
8 fried tofu puffs, halved diagonally
1kg fresh thick yellow egg (Hokkien) noodles
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp kecap manis
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp curry powder
3 eggs
Cucumber and tomato slices, to serve
Lemon or lime wedges, to serve
Sliced bird’s-eye chillies in soy sauce, to serve

Method

Adam’s Big Pot, by Adam Liaw, published by Hatchette Australia, $39.99

Heat a wok over very high heat and add the garlic oil. Add the chicken and fry until just browned. Add the prawns, pak choy and spring onions and toss to coat in the oil. When the prawns change colour, add the tomatoes and tofu puffs. Toss for about 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes and tofu soften.

Add a little more oil if necessary and add the noodles, soy sauce, oyster sauce, kecap manis, tomato sauce and curry powder, tossing in the wok for about 3 minutes until the noodles are softened.

Move everything to one side of the wok and crack the eggs directly into the open side. Mix the eggs well and when slightly firm, toss through the noodles.

Serve with cucumber and tomato slices, a wedge of lemon or lime, and some sliced chillies in soy sauce on the side.

TIP: Many Malaysians like to serve a bit of sambal belacan as a condiment with their mee goreng. Just pound into a paste a cup of fresh red chillies, 2 tbsp toasted belacan (shrimp paste), a shredded kaffir lime leaf and a teaspoon of sugar. Stir through 2 tbsp lime juice and serve a big spoon of it on the side of your noodles.