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Thin rice noodles are braised in umami broth and seafood and then stir-fried and top with fried peanuts and seaweed, a signature of Heng Hwa style fried bee hoon at Putien restaurant.
Heng Hwa or Xing Hua is a dialect group. It’s not as common as Hokkian or Teochew for example. I do have a best friend when I was in elementary all the way to high school who is a Heng Hwa. We are still keeping in touch after all these years. I have to admit that I don’t know a whole lot about Heng Hwa food but there is one shop in Medan where I grew up, that sells Heng Hwa food. They don’t sell this Heng Hwa fried bee hoon, but they do sell Heng Hwa Mee, or I believe known as Heng Hwa Pa Mee in Malaysia. It’s a noodle soup. I absolutely love Heng Hwa Mee. It’s so simple but it’s so comforting. I will post that recipe separately.
What is Putien Heng Hwa bee hoon?
Putien is a restaurant started in Singapore and now has many branches throughout Southeast and East Asia. The restaurant serves mainly Fujian cuisine but it is also well known for its Heng Hwa fried bee hoon. Heng Hwa fried bee hoon dish is made with special Heng Hwa rice noodle, which is on the thin side. The bee hoon is braised in umami-rich broth and seafood until the broth is absorbed and then stir-fried and topped with fried peanuts and fried seaweed. It may not sound like something spectacular. In fact, the dish is quite simple but the flavor is great.
How to make Heng Hwa fried bee hoon
I couldn’t find Heng Hwa bee hoon where I am, so I just have to use the closest thing I can find. So you will see that my bee hoon is not as thin as the Heng Hwa version.
1. Preheat a large skillet or a wok. Add pork belly slices (I didn’t use them here) and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add red onion slices and saute for another minute
2. Add dried shrimp and mushrooms and saute until aromatic, about 2 minutes
3. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Add the dried bee hoon and stalks of bok choy. Cover with a lid and cook for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
5. Uncover the lid and add shrimp, scallops, squid, bok choy leaves, and seasonings
6. Cover again and cook for another minute
7. Uncover the lid and you will notice most of the stock has been absorbed. Give it one last stir and have a taste. Adjust to your preference. Turn off the heat and leave it in a pan for about 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter
8. Top with fried peanuts, omelet strips, and seaweed. Serve immediately
Did you make this Heng Hwa Bee Hoon recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Heng Hwa Fried Bee Hoon (Putien Xing Hua Mi Fen)
Ingredients
- 50 gr pork belly thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil
- 20 gr red onion sliced
- 30 gr dried shrimp soaked in warm water
- 100 gr shrimp peeled and deveined
- 100 gr scallops
- 100 gr squid
- 5 large dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in warm water
- 100 gr baby bokchoy separate the stalks and leaves
- 1.5 liter chicken stock
- 300 gr dried Heng Hwa bee hoon
Seasonings:
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce or more to taste
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
- salt to taste
Egg omelette strips:
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tsp cooking oil divided
Fried peanuts:
- 40 gr Peanuts with skin on
- Oil enough to cover the peanuts
Top with:
- Roasted seaweed see notes
Instructions
Make the fried peanuts:
- Put the peanuts in a pan, pour some oil, just enough to cover the peanuts. The oil needs to be room temperature and not hot. Turn on the stove to medium-low. The oil will gradually heat up and start stirring the peanuts. We need to fry the peanuts low and slow. This is extremely important. I actually burned the peanuts several times because I started with hot oil
- Frying peanuts take time. This may take 20 minutes or so. You need to keep stirring off and on to prevent the peanuts from burning. Remove the peanuts from the oil and test to see if they are crispy after cooling down. Don't test when they are still hot as they won't be crispy. If it's still soft after cooled down, you need to fry a bit longer
Prepare egg omelete:
- Whisk the eggs and add seasonings. Preheat a non-stick pan, about 8 inches or so. Add about 1 tsp of oil. Pour 1/2 of the egg mixture and swirl the pan to coat the base. Use spatult to push the side of the egg and let the liquidy egg flow to cover the empty spot. Cook until the bottom has set and then flip over and cook for another 10-15 seconds. Remove and add another teaspoon of oil and cook the rest of the egg mixture
- Use a knife to cut the omelete into 1/4-inch strips and set aside
Start cooking:
- Preheat a large skillet or a wok. Add pork belly slices (I didn't use here) and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add red onion slices and saute for another minute. Add dried shrimp and mushrooms and saute until aromatic, about 2 minutes
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add seasonings. Bring to a simmer and then add bok choy and simmer for about 1 minute. Add the dried bee hoon . Cover with a lid and cook for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Uncover the lid and add shrimp, scallops, squid, bok choy leave. Cover again and cook for another minute
- Uncover the lid and you will notice most of the stock has been absorbed. Give it one last stir and have a taste. Adjust to your preference. Turn off the heat and leave it in a pan for about 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter
- Top with fried peanuts, omelet strips, and seaweed. Serve immediately
