Quick and tasty Lo Mein with Kale and Egg for one. Only 15 minutes to prepare and can be easily multiplied for the family.
Noodles are the other staple food at our house apart from rice. We eat noodles regularly, at least once or twice a week, if not more. In fact, my youngest son, Ro-Jiro probably prefers noodles to rice. His answer is always, “Noodles!” when asked for his preference. For this reason, I do keep a good supply of dried noodles in my pantry. They are so convenient and a meal can be prepared in minutes.
One of the fastest way of preparing noodles is to make “dried tossed noodles” or kon lo meen as it is known in the Cantonese dialect. This method of preparation is very simple. Fresh or dried noodles are simply boiled and toss in sauce. The sauce is usually soy sauce based. It is then topped with a variety of ingredients like lightly scalded vegetables, boiled Sui Kow (Chinese Dumplings) and Wontons, Char Siew (Chinese Barbecue Pork), fried eggs, and the likes. It is really versatile and can be easily made to suit one’s preference.
Although the popular lo mein as known here in the United States sounds similar to kon lo meen, there are differences in its preparation. In lo mein, meats and vegetables are cooked in a sauce and the boiled noodles are returned to the pan at the very end to be tossed and cooked through. This method of preparation is quite different from my understanding of “tossed noodles” but it is quite tasty and I would eat it in a heartbeat. 🙂
Choy sum or bok choy are the normal vegetables used in tossed noodles. I have used kale here as it is easily available and a vegetable we have taken a liking to. I have scalded it very lightly so that it remains slightly crunchy. I like its bright green color when cooked this way. This is a quick and satisfying meal for one but it can easily be made for a family of four or more.
Quick and tasty Lo Mein with Kale and Egg for one. Only 15 minutes to prepare and can be easily multiplied for the family.
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dumpling sauce / oyster sauce / Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 bundle thin dried noodles
- 3 stalks kale (stem removed)
- 1 red chili (seeds removed and sliced (optional))
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Place sesame oil and garlic in a medium microwavable bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute. Remove and add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and dumpling sauce. Mix well. Set aside.
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In a small non-stick pan, heat vegetable oil. Crack egg into pan and cook until desired doneness. Remove and set aside.
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Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. Add dried noodles and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or according to packaging instructions.
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Remove, drain, and transfer to bowl with sauce mixture. Toss to coat noodles evenly with sauce.
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Add kale to boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove and drain.
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Transfer noodles to a serving dish. Top with egg, kale, and chili.
I often cook this Lo Mein with Kale and Egg, sometimes with different vegetables as it is a quick and tasty dish for one. It can be easily multiplied for the family.
Hi Biren,
This totally reminds me of kolo mee (from Kuching) or kampua mee (from Sibu), both of which I loved to eat growing up. They were like the back-up meals (kinda like Maggi Mee). 😀 How I miss them so!
Hi Chris! Thanks for visiting. Yes, I do remember kolo mee from Kuching. They were really tasty and enjoyed them during my visits there. Come to think of it, this is kinda similar. 🙂 Of course, kolo mee uses fresh noodles and comes with char siew…mmmm!
I remember ko lo mee was pretty common in Singapore in the 1970s, but at some point, between then and now, it’s just disappeared from the local food scene!!These days it’s just Teochew style tah mee or Cantonese dry wonton mee, with the odd “kon loh mee” stall at one or two spots on the island. It tasted different from the dry noodles available these days, and I really miss it. It reminds me of my sweet, simple childhood in then sweet, simple Singapore 🙂 I may try our version one day, if I feel particularly nostalgic LOL
I did not realize there is actually a kolo mee in Singapore. When I said kon loh mee I actually was thinking of wonton mee. That was just how we referred to it sometimes. Isn’t this a little like mee pok (I hope that is what it is called) that is very popular for breakfast in Singapore? We ate and enjoyed that almost every morning we were there visiting some years back. Anyway, I am glad this post brought back nostalgic memories for you. 🙂
i love the idea of the egg added to the lo mein. It makes it much heartier and healthier too with the kale. You are so creative
Thanks Jessica! This is a very simple meal that I cook often for myself and the toppings vary according to what I have in the fridge. I do like this combination though as kale is my current favorite vegetable. 🙂
Woooow!! I love the colors of the meal!! It’s stunning with the green kale, lo mein and that beautiful egg. 🙂
Thanks Ramona! I ahve to agree with you on the colors of the dish. It struck me as vibrant as I was taking the pictures. 🙂
Looks amazing! Simple and healthy. With this recipe you can never say, “There’s nothing to fix for dinner!”
Thanks Patricia! 🙂