This vegetable mei fun features bouncy noodles and crunchy veggies cooked in a rich, savory sauce! It is a hearty, filling, and flavorsome meal that your whole family will love. Ready in 20 minutes and only calls for simple everyday ingredients.
This recipe is a recreation of my childhood favorite - the classic hawker stall chow mei fun! You can find it almost anywhere in Malaysia and Singapore, be it the local street vendor or high-end buffet dinner. In this version, we will add tons of colorful veggies for a more nutrient-dense meal.
Although commonly served on its own, I like serving it with other local delicacies such as the Chinese yam cake, mung bean soup, popiah and a glass of lemon barley water.
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- Satisfying, hearty, and packed with tons of flavors
- A quick and easy meal idea that is ready in 15 minutes,
- Highly customizable - feel free to switch up veggies and seasonings used, or even add ingredients (especially a source of protein like chicken pieces, eggs, or tofu)
- A wholesome recipe that is packed with veggies and lighter than takeout
🤔What is chow mei fun
Chow mei fun is a Chinese dish especially popular in Hong Kong, Singapore, and other parts of Asia. It is an easy one-pan stir-fry noodle that typically involves vermicelli stir-fried with vegetables (such as bean sprouts and onion) and protein (like seared chicken pieces and eggs).
The name can be broken into “chow” (炒), which refers to the act of frying, and “mei fun” (米粉) - a thin rice noodles, also known as vermicelli.
Many variations of mei fun exist, and in this recipe, we will be making Singapore-style mei fun, which includes curry powder that gives the noodles a yellowish hue. However, this dish is incredibly forgiving, and you can swap out any ingredients or add whatever sounds good!
🧅What you will need
For stir-fry
For the sauce
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Rice vermicelli - Thin, delicate noodles made from rice flour. It can be found in most Asian markets or groceries (usually in the noodles or international food aisle). I usually purchase it online.
- Vegetables - I am using bell peppers, cabbage, and bean sprouts. However, other veggies such as napa cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, and broccolini will also work.
- Curry powder - I recommend going for Indian curry powder to give Singapore chow mei fun its distinctive yellow hue.
- Oyster sauce - Opt for a vegan oyster sauce to keep this recipe vegan. I highly recommend using Lee Kum Kee’s stir-fry sauce (Although it is labeled as a stir-fry sauce, it is a mushroom-flavored sauce imitating oyster sauce).
🔪How to make
Soak rice vermicelli in boiling-hot water for 2-3 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
While the noodles are soaking, make the stir-fry sauce by combining all the ingredients needed.
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Heat some oil in a pan, then add onion and saute until translucent.
Add garlic and fry for a minute until fragrant.
Stir in bell pepper and cabbage, cooking for 2-3 minutes until veggies are tender.
Add bean sprouts, cooked vermicelli, and stir-fry sauce. Toss to combine and fry until everything is hot. Remove from heat and serve your vegetable mei fun.
✔Helpful tips
- Slightly undercook your rice vermicelli - Overcooking noodles will cause them to clump, making them difficult to cook. I find soaking in hot water for 2-3 minutes optimal, but it will vary depending on the thickness of your noodles.
- Customize this recipe - Switch up the veggies and amount of seasonings used to your liking.
- Add a source of protein - I recommend adding some protein to this dish for a more substantial meal. Seared chicken breast, thin strips of cooked beef, eggs, and tofu work great in this vegetable mei fun.
- Use a large enough pan/wok - Avoid overcrowding your pan to ensure the ingredients cook evenly and properly.
- Make it spice-free - Omit the curry powder, or use a mild one.
❄️Storing and reheating suggestions
Storing - Vegetable mei fun can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheating - The best way to reheat mei fun is in a wok or pan. Heat some oil in the pan, then add leftovers. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until hot, adding a splash of water if needed. A quicker method is to reheat noodles in the microwave at 30-second intervals until hot, stirring in between.
🍲How to serve
Chow mei fun is commonly served as breakfast, especially in Malaysia and Singapore. However, it is good to serve at any meal. Before serving, you could top noodles with chili oil or sriracha for heat or a squeeze of lime/lemon juice for tanginess. A warm bowl of soup (especially my Chinese spinach soup and napa cabbage soup) pairs great with this dish.
I also love making and serving it as a side dish for gatherings and parties, alongside vegan wontons, air fryer rice paper rolls, and mains such as Szechuan tofu or mushroom tofu stir-fry.
❔Commonly asked questions
Although both are rice-based noodles, vermicelli is much thinner when compared to regular rice noodles. Due to their shape, cooked vermicelli is springy and delicate, while regular rice noodles are chewy in texture.
Mei fun uses vermicelli noodles, which is a rice-based noodles. Hence, it is naturally gluten-free.
The easiest way to cook rice vermicelli is by soaking them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Alternatively, boil them for 1-2 minutes or soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes.
📖 Recipe
Vegetable Chow Mei Fun
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 3 oz rice vermicelli
- ½ medium yellow onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 medium red bell pepper julienned
- 1 cup bean sprout
- 2 teaspoons Indian curry powder
For stir-fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (use gluten-free if needed)
- ½ tablespoon shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- ½ tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce or regular oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Soak rice vermicelli in boiling-hot water for 2-3 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.3 oz rice vermicelli
- While the noodles are soaking, make the stir-fry sauce by combining all the ingredients needed.1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon shaoxing wine, ½ tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute until translucent.½ medium yellow onion
- Add garlic and fry for a minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Stir in bell pepper and cabbage, cooking for 2-3 minutes until veggies are tender.1 medium red bell pepper, 2 cup shredded cabbage
- Add bean sprouts, cooked vermicelli, curry powder, and stir-fry sauce. Toss to combine and fry until everything is hot. Remove from heat and serve.1 cup bean sprout, 2 teaspoons Indian curry powder
Notes
- Slightly undercook your rice vermicelli - Overcooking noodles will cause them to clump, making them difficult to cook. I find soaking in hot water for 2-3 minutes optimal but it will vary depending on the thickness of your noodles.
- Customize this recipe - Switch up the veggies and amount of seasonings used to your liking.
- Add a source of protein - I recommend adding some protein to this dish for a more substantial meal. Seared chicken breast, thin strips of cooked beef, eggs, and tofu work great in this vegetable mei fun.
- Use a large enough pan/wok - Avoid overcrowding your pan to ensure the ingredients cook evenly and properly.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Sandra says
Thank you for the recipe
Jim Mee Sha says
Its my pleasure!