Vesak Recipe: Fried Meehoon

Editor’s note: On Vesak, it is prohibited to kill any being, so everyone eats vegetarian. Here’s a recipe from Malaysia that is popular on Vesak. This author’s food blog, Pure Glutton, is guaranteed to make your tummy rumble with its pics!
Fried Meehoon (vegetarian version)
Ingredients:
300g/1.5 cups meehoon (dried rice vermicelli)
150g/1 cup beansprouts
150g/1 cup shredded carrots
150g/1 cup mustard leaves (sawi)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil
200ml/over 3/4 cup (but under 1 cup) of water
Instructions:
1. Soak the dry meehoon in water for 30 minutes to soften. Drain off water.
2. Heat up 1 tsp of the cooking oil in a frying pan or wok. Toss in the bean sprouts and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Dish them up and leave aside.
3. Heat up the rest of the cooking oil, sauté the garlic till fragrant.
4. Add in the carrots and mustard leaves and sauté for another minute.
5. Add in oyster sauce, soya sauce, salt and water.
6. Put in the soaked meehoon, cover pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Toss the meehoon to ensure all ingredients are well mixed. Once the sauce/gravy has been absorbed and the meehoon is softened, toss back in the sautéed bean sprouts and mix well.
7. Serve.
Notes & Modifications:
1. The reason why the bean sprouts were sautéed first and added in later when the meehoon is cooked is to ensure they retain their crunchiness.
2. As this is the vegetarian version, no meat is used. If you so desire, you can also use prawns and sliced meats (e.g., chicken, beef, pork) for added flavour and taste. Add in the meats just before you add in the vegetables (Step 4 above).