Economical Fried Bee Hoon

For the later part of my teenage years, economical fried bee hoon (rice vermicelli) played a significant role in the weekend breakfast routine. It’s so simple yet such a lovely way to start a weekend on a Saturday morning – easy fried plain bee hoon accompanied by other little food items of your choice. I always wonder why it’s called “economical” fried bee hoon and up till now, I still don’t know the real reason behind it. Perhaps it’s economical because of the way it’s cooked, practically in bulk, a massive wok-full at a time. Or maybe it’s because cheap to cook, since the bee hoon itself doesn’t call for many ingredients to be yummy. Could it also be that it’s meant to be an inexpensive meal option? Somebody please enlighten me.

Nonetheless, being away from home, the usual weekend breakfast routine gets disrupted inevitably: there is a lack of economical bee hoon. The only solution? Make it myself.

But of course, this version is a pimped up one. It’s more like the kind my mother makes when we have family barbecues, as opposed to the plain-fried type I have on lazy Saturdays. No matter, bee hoon rocks. I am Beehoon Boy. Or at least W call me that, ever so affectionately. (:

What you’ll need:

• 2 portions dried beehoon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
• half cup beansprouts
• quarter cup carrot, julienned

For sauce mixture:

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sweet soy sauce (or a pinch of sugar)
• half tsp white pepper powder

1. Submerge the dried beehoon in hot water and let it sit until it is soft but still firm, then strain well. Stiff beehoon is wirey and not yummy.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sprouts, carrot or any other ingredients you’d like to have in the beehoon. Cut them up into thin matchsticks. It packs a better mouthful altogether.
3. Mix the sauces together in a bowl.
4. In a hot skillet with the oil, fry the garlic and shallots till fragrant.
5. Add in the softened beehoon and sauce mixture. Stir using chopsticks or thin tongs. Ladles and spatulas will smash up the long strands, which is not yummy.
6. Have a taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Here’s the clickable, printable, saveable recipe card!

 

x, K