Mee Goreng

Hi there…

Have you missed me? Ha:) Just dropping by today to tell you how much I miss my Asian delicacies!

If you were ever brought up in Asia, you must know by now, that street food vendors are everywhere to be found! In Indonesia, they even walk up your alley!

The first time I was loved back to Indonesia by my parents, in 1989, I was shocked! We used to live in SIngapore, where everything was clean and in order. You can’t just find food vendors any old how. You would have to go to an area where they actually have government permit to sell street food in Singapore. Whereas, in Jakarta, Indonesia, where we were moved to at that time, the food vendors literally were scattered everywhere. From walking up to your road, to small alleys, to just stationing by under the trees. I must say, the food they serve are downright delicious. But if you are not used to eating like this, you might want to carry activated charcoal tablets with you. Really, these delicious foods, when you’re not accustomed to them, can give your tummy the shock of it’s life! 😀 😀

I grew up, trying to blend in with my surroundings, having occasional tummy problems on and off when I ate these foods. In Indonesia, this culture of buying foods from vendors is called “jajan” (juh-jun). It has become a favorite family past time for any Indonesian. Ask any Indonesian, and they will verify this!

As fun as it may sound, I am actually worried by this culture. More and more people have become lazy at  home cooking, and now just want to “jajan” from the food vendors that are so easy to find. These are delicious Indonesian food dishes, that are no more cooked with love, but just cooked out of routine from a vendor who is usually frustrated by his own economic and social status in the country, due to the suffocation and congestion from our population explosion. To make it even worse, these vendors use palm oil which is used over and over again to reduce production cost, but as we all know, this is far from healthy, all these oils clogging up your arteries! Then they also go crazy on MSG (monosodium glutamate) powders, because, hey.. who has the time and patience to make up a natural stock from natural ingredients, these days, right?

All this has added to my frustration, that all these delicious Indonesian food is being downgraded to it’s lowest and stripped off from any hope of nutrients you wish to obtain from them. Food should be fuel, right? Not weighing us down  And in the previous years, this problem has gotten bigger and bigger. More and more Indonesians are suffering from diabetes, heart failure and cancer related health issues, just from enjoying the Indonesian culture of “jajan” . How sad is this?

The only way I can think of, to give back to my fellow countrymen is by initiating a movement called INDONESIA MAKAN SAYUR. It actually translates to Indonesia eats vegetables. What I really mean by it, is Indonesia eats (more ) PLANTBASED foods. But since we do not have a word to describe plantbased, I had to use the term sayur.

You can find us on facebook or on instagram.  We encourage people to eat more plantbased local foods. No, we’re not about turning people into vegans or vegetarians, don’t worry haha..I I am a firm believer of the term “ to each their own”I

If you’re an Indonesian looking for support from the same kind of people trying to eat and live better, then this is the account to follow. If you’re an expat living in Indonesia, looking for healthier plantbased options to eat here, then DEFINITELY, we are the account to follow. We have so many tips and information on where to find what. You can even drop us a comment on insta and our admin will help you. Yes, you can do it in English or Indonesian. If you haven’t already, please follow us on instagram @indonesia_makansayur .

So, last night I had a craving of street food, Indonesian style. The classic mie goreng you find on the streets, cooked in oil laden woks mixed harmouniously with debri from the roadside and occasional fly visits, haha. Here’s my rendition. A healthier option. Cooked in  Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut oil. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of healthy option noodles, cooked according to instructions then strained.( i used the tomato noodles by HEALTHY CHOICE)

1 Tbsp of minced garlic

1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup chopped leek or you can also use spring onions

1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks

1,5 cup of torn greenleaves ( i used kale. you can use bokchoy, or kailan, or horenso spinach, or baby spinach even)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tsp SOPHIE POWDER FIX (please see recipe in my previous post, if you don’t have access to it, then just mix up 1/4 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp paprika powder)

2 Tbsp of tamari or Braggs Amino Acid ( a healthier lower sodium option for salty sauce)

ground pepper to your liking

1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil ( i used truffle infused extra virgin olive oil for mine)

1 tsp of SriRacha or your fav chilli relish (sambal) — i used my homemade Sriracha, will share the recipe one day, promise:)

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1. First heat your pan or wok. add in the coconut oil and sauté the leek, followed by carrots.Once leek has begun to release fragrance, add in the garlic, stir around, BE CAREFUL not to burn the garlic. Then add in SOPHIE’s POWDER FIX and keep stirring around, lower heat a bit if you must.

2. Add in the cooked noodles, tamari, sriracha and stir around some more. Then once they are evened out, add in the torn greens, mix it up a bit, but not until greens become mushy. Then add in chopped cilantro and straight away turn off heat.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl, add in the toasted sesame oil, mix and serve straight away.

I had baked tempeh with on hand, so i served it with some of that. Sprinkled it with blackpepper and some organic Purple Radish Sprouts. Oh.. so ..pretty!!

Try to make your own variatons! You can even add tofu or mushrooms! Just promise me you will use cold press virgin coconut oil to cook them.  It’s so much more healthier, as coconut is a good fat, and it saves the environment too! Palm oil takes away the homes of Orangutans and causes more floods to happen in this country, plus it clogs up your arteries.

Let’s be mindful of what we put into our mouths to nourish our bodies, and make this planet a better place too!

Hope you try it. Please tag me if you do on instagram, @sophienavita

Before I leave you with the rest of your day, I would like to invite you to get more connected with me. I will send you a monthly newsletter on my favorite recipe, or natural beauty tips or motherhood stories, or even my thoughts on nutrition for the family. Would you like to be connected with me? please go to http://www.sophienavita.com and CLICK on that red button to submit your email address to my mailing list. I promise, no spamming and LOADS of fun!!

Yours in health and joy,

Sophie Navita, xoxo