CWIMIE (Chicken Noodle-Malang style)

Malang is a city in East Java, Indonesia. My father grew up there, and my grandparents have been in this city since my father was in primary school. My grandfather passed away long before my grandmother, who died in 1989. That was before I finished my studies at the University

Cwimie is a specific food from Malang. It is mie ayam (Chicken Noodle).  The regular Mie Ayam has cube cuts of chicken and is likely soggier than Cwimie because it uses oyster sauce. It is cooked with mushrooms and bok choy, while the chicken in Cwimie is more likely chicken flakes and is served with lettuce instead.

Most Indonesian foods are named after the “type” of the dish, followed by the "region/city or the first place/address of the restaurant," as each food has a different specialty. Here are some examples,

1. Bubur Ayam (porridge): Bubur Ayam Sukabumi, Bubur Ayam Jakarta
2. Soto (clear soup): Soto Bandung, Soto Betawi, Soto Makasar (Coto Makasar)
3. Mie, bakmi, cwimie(noodle): Mie Ayam Jakarta, Bakmi gang Kelinci, Bakmi Gajah Mada, Cwimie Malang.

 

Now, let's talk about Cwimie.

A complete cwimie may have wonton and meatball soup as a side dish or use one as your additional food match with CWIMIE. Another favourite side that can be added is fried wonton. You can easily buy wonton sheets in Asian groceries and fry them at home.

CHICKEN FLAKES

• 400 gr minced chicken
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 cloves shallot or 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 candlenuts
• 3 tbsp coriander
• salt to taste

Methods:

• Mix all herbs in a grinder and heat up the oil in a skillet. Stir the herbs and add minced chicken. 
• Keep stirring until the chicken is cooked, the spices are absorbed, and the mixture forms flakes. Remove from the heat. 

Noodle ingredients:

• 300 g fresh egg noodles
• 1 tbsp vegetable/corn oil
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 100 g lettuce, rinse off (Originally, it serves with lettuce, but some people love to serve the noodle with bok choy)
• 2 tbsp fried shallots

Method:

• In a pot, boil water, add noodles, and cook until softened, then drain. 
• Season noodles with oil, fish sauce, and ground white pepper in a bowl. 

It’s essential to season the noodles while they’re still hot.

Serving:

1. Use two different sizes of bowls, small and large. 
2. In a large bowl, place lettuce on top of the seasoned noodles.
3. If you love eating noodles with bok choy, ensure you soak them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes before adding them to the noodles.
4. Then top with chicken flakes and fried shallots. 
5. Serve with acar (pickle) and a small bowl of meatball soup.