• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
    • Copyright Policy
    • Privacy Policy
  • Surprise Me
  • Recipes
    • By Categories
    • Cake Pan Conversions Calculator
    • Cup – Gram Conversion
    • F.A.Q.
  • Travelogues
    • Travel Map
    • Asia
      • 2014 Ho Chi Minh & Mui Ne, Vietnam (5 days)
      • 2014 East Java, Indonesia (5 days)
      • 2013 Cambodia (7 days)
      • 2012 Taiwan (22 days)
    • Europe
      • 2016 Balkans (25 days)
      • 2016 Switzerland (9 days)
      • 2015 Iceland (22 days)
      • 2015 Denmark (8 days)
      • 2015 Naples and Amalfi Coast, Italy (7 days)
      • 2011 Europe (42 days, 13 countries)
  • Contact

Foodie Baker

Home » Recipes » Savoury » Main Courses » Noodles: Asian » Ee Mein Soup (伊面汤)

September 9, 2012 Asian

Ee Mein Soup (伊面汤)

DSC_4662

This is a fuss-free, simple and healthy (uses no MSG!) dish that I loved to cook for a quick lunch fix or during a cold day when some soupy food is desired. The original recipe comes from my mom – she loves to use all kinds of leftover vegetables in this dish and it’s an incredibly homey and comfort food for us all. The soup base is cooked using onions and dried anchovies (popularly known as ikan bilis in Asia) but chicken stock can be substituted for the soup. All kinds of vegetables can be used – cabbage, sugar snap peas, carrot, mushrooms, corn etc, just use whatever is leftover in the fridge!

DSC_4664

For my version, I rummaged the fridge and found some leftover carrot and chicken fillet. So, I grabbed some shiitake mushrooms and an egg to complete this meal. Wish I had more varieties of vegetables to add into this bowl of nutritious soup! On to the step-by-step photos!

DSC_4652

List of ingredients (clockwise from left): chopped onion, carrot, ikan bilis, egg, shiitake mushrooms
Middle: Ee Mein (伊面)

Ee Mein is a type of Asian noodle made with eggs and wheat flour. It is golden in colour (due to the eggs) and has a chewy texture (due to soda water being used in making the noodles). The noodles are bundled into a patty-like shape then deep-fried till crispy and dried. It can be cooked in various ways – soup, stir-fried and braised.

Ikan bilis are actually dried anchovies in Malay. It is widely used in many Asian dishes. My mom will often pan-fry the larger ikan bilis till crispy and serve it as garnish on top of vegetables (imagine eating vegetables with an extra crunch!).
The smaller ones are often used in soups to develop a deep and rich flavour.It is a great source of protein, though it’s pretty salty.

 

EDIT (10 Sep 2012): Please read below for the correct explanation of ikan bilis!

 

DSC_4645

Let’s marinade the meat first!

DSC_4647

Add some light soy sauce…

DSC_4648

Some sesame oil.

DSC_4650

Dash of white pepper.

DSC_4651

And some corn flour to make the meat tender.

Mix the meat and set aside for 15 minutes.

DSC_4653

Heat some oil in a pot and sear the meat till golden.

DSC_4656

Remove the meat and add in the ikan bilis.

DSC_4658

Next, in goes the chopped onion.

DSC_4660

Fry until translucent then add in water.

If you want to skip cooking the soup base, chicken or vegetable stock can be used.

Bring to a boil and add in chicken, shiitake mushrooms and carrot. (Or any other vegetables you want to use.)

DSC_4661

Simmer for a while and then add in the noodles and the egg.

DSC_4663

Cook till the noodles have softened. Season and serve immediately!

I’m going to link this dish to Recipe Box #13 hosted by Chaya!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ee Mein Soup

Serves 1
By Jasline N.
Servings: 0

INGREDIENTS
 

Chicken:

  • ~80 to 100 grams chicken fillet, diced
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • A little white pepper
  • 1 heaping teaspoon corn flour

Soup base

  • 1/4 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 heaping tablespoons dried anchovies, ikan bilis or icefish (Neosalanx tangkahkeii taihuensis), rinsed once (to get rid of some salt) then drained

Others:

  • 3 shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water till soft, stem removed and sliced (reserve the mushroom water)
  • 1/3 small carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 1 bundle of ee mein
  • 1 egg
  • Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine the chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and corn flour and leave aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
  • In a small pot, heat a little oil till hot and sear the chicken until browned all over. The chicken doesn't have to be cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In the same pot, add in a little more oil and stir fry the ikan bilis / ice fish and the onion until the ikan bilis is slightly golden and the onion is translucent. Use the mushroom water and fill up to half a bowl of water, add it in with the ikan bilis and onion and bring to boil.
  • Once the water has boiled, add in the chicken, shiitake mushrooms and carrot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the soup is flavourful.
  • Add in the noodles and egg and cook until the noodles have softened. If you like your egg to have oozy yolk, add in the egg slightly later. Season with salt to taste.
  • Transfer into a bowl and serve immediately.
Tried this recipe?Mention @foodiebaker or tag #foodiebaker!

Super Naggy:

  • For instant soup base, use a good quality vegetable or chicken stock (stock cubes can be used too).
  • Use all kinds of vegetables!
  • If ee mein can’t be found, substitute with your favourite noodles – vermicelli, egg noodles etc.
  • I realized I made a mistake in the explanation of ikan bilis. Ikan bilis are indeed dried anchovies. In Chinese, it’s called jiang yu zai (江魚仔). Anchovies are salt-water fish and are often processed and preserved by gut and salt them in brine, then packed in oil or salt. In Asia, they are often salt then dried. It can be used to make soup base, pan-fried / deep-fried to serve as side dish. The small fishes that I used in this recipe are called silver fish icefish – if you google them you’ll just end up on a Wiki page on this bug also known as silverfish... The scientific name for this is Neosalanx tangkahkeii taihuensis. In Chinese, it’s called yin yu (银鱼), which directly translates to silver fish. It is a freshwater fish that is more commonly used in Asian dishes. In Asian markets, we are able to get fresh ones and dried ones. The fresh ones are translucent (a little milky in colour) and are used mainly in stir-fry dishes. The dried ones are white in colour and are used mainly in soups for flavour. Our family prefer to use silver fish icefish to make soup base as it’s lighter in taste – dried anchovies’ has a stronger “fishy” taste. Both types of fish are suitable to be used to make this dish, so I guess it is up to each and everyone’s taste!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

伊面汤

一人份
By Jasline N.
Servings: 0

INGREDIENTS
 

鸡肉:

  • ~80克 鸡柳肉, 切丁
  • 1 茶匙 酱青
  • 1/2 茶匙 麻油
  • 少许 白胡椒
  • 1 大匙 蜀粉

汤底:

  • 1/4 红洋葱,切小丁
  • 1 大匙 银鱼仔,冲洗几次去除盐分

其它:

  • 3 朵 香菇,泡软,根去除,切小片 (留住泡香菇的香菇水)
  • 1 小段 胡萝卜,去皮切片
  • 1 片 伊面
  • 1 鸡蛋
  • 少许 盐

INSTRUCTIONS

  • 鸡柳肉、酱青、麻油、胡椒粉、蜀粉拌均,放置15分钟。
  • 在小锅热油,加入鸡肉抄一下 。鸡肉不必全熟,待金黄色捞起放一边。
  • 在同意个锅热油,加入银鱼仔和洋葱拌抄至银鱼仔微金黄色。香菇水加水至半碗,加入锅中煮沸。
  • 水沸后加入鸡肉、香菇与萝卜,火转小煮10分钟至汤入味。
  • 加入伊面及鸡蛋。若不想蛋黄全熟,迟一点再加入鸡蛋。加入盐调味。
Tried this recipe?Mention @foodiebaker or tag #foodiebaker!

注:

[1] 可直接使用高汤或鸡精块。

[2] 可使用任何喜爱的蔬菜。

[3] 可把伊面换成面线、米粉等。



Share the love!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories: Asian Tags: carrot, chicken fillet, cornstarch, ikan bilis, light soy sauce, mushroom, onion, sesame oil, whole egg

Previous Post: « Cuteness~ Rilakkuma Mini Cakes
Next Post: Beautiful Madrid, Spain (Part 3) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Baby Sumo says

    September 19, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    Mmmmm a comforting bowl of noodles!

    Reply
  2. mjskit says

    September 17, 2012 at 4:23 am

    What a delicious looking soup! I would order this is a second and pay handsomely!

    Reply
  3. Amelia says

    September 13, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Hi, looking at your bowl of Ee Mein soup…. I’m so hungry now. Wish I can have a bowl….LOL
    Delicious and tempting.

    Have a nice day.

    Reply
  4. Bam's Kitchen says

    September 12, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    非常好吃!

    Reply
  5. Anuja says

    September 12, 2012 at 11:49 am

    What a beautiful and comforting dish for rainy days ( as we are having here :D). Thanx for sharing

    Reply
  6. Chaya says

    September 11, 2012 at 9:37 pm

    Now that the weather has gotten cooler, I am planning to make lots of soups and this one looks amazing. Thanks for sharing this at the Recipe Box where it is being featured. Come on over and visit.

    Reply
  7. kitchen flavours says

    September 11, 2012 at 5:44 am

    A bowl of comforting meal indeed! I always have a pack of anchovies in my fridge! I love ee mein, of course I must have a condiment of sliced chili padi and see yau with a squeeze of lime, drizzle that over the eggs, heavenly!
    Have a great day!

    Reply
  8. gottagetbaked says

    September 11, 2012 at 12:15 am

    Lol ops. I read the poached part of your post and thought to myself, I’ve never poached an egg before! Then of course when I was typing, my brain automatically typed “fried” cause that’s how I always make my eggs. In any case, eggs with runny yolks are delicious on everything!

    Reply
  9. lena says

    September 10, 2012 at 11:13 pm

    agree with you, this is a very comforting homey kind of noodle dish. i never tried using silverfish to make stock, it’s always ikan bilis, thanks now i know that can be used to make stock.

    Reply
  10. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    I made a mistake earlier, it’s actually called silver fish (Neosalanx tangkahkeii taihuensis) and it’s white in colour when dried (translucent/milky when fresh). Dried anchovies can also be used for this dish. I’m glad you like it! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    Yes they’re extremely flavourful! But I made a mistake earlier, they’re actually silver fish (Neosalanx tangkahkeii taihuensis) not anchovies… but both can be used for this dish! Glad you like it!

    Reply
  12. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:26 pm

    Thank you Uru! 😀 Have a great week ahead!

    Reply
  13. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    I agree, I love this dish as it’s so easy and quick to prepare! 😉

    Reply
  14. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    Thank you John! I agree, it can get pretty time-consuming to make a proper and delicious soup… so I love this kind of “short-cuts”! I made a mistake earlier stating mine is dried anchovies, they’re actually silver fish (Neosalanx tangkahkeii taihuensis). Both can be used to make this dish, so I hope you get to find them in Asian markets!

    Reply
  15. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    Thank you Natalia! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    Mmmm fried egg sounds really delicious on top (mine is a poached egg 😉 )

    Reply
  18. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    Thanks Mich, yea it’s one of my favourite comfort food as it’s really quick and easy to prepare! 😉

    Reply
  19. Jasline says

    September 10, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    Thanks Raymund! I realised I made a mistake in naming the fishes, they’re actually silver fish (Neosalanx tangkahkeii taihuensis). But the brown ones can also be used to make this dish. 🙂

    Reply
  20. rsmacaalay says

    September 10, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    I never seen a white dried anchovies, I always buy the brown ones. That mee looks so satisfying. Yum,!

    Reply
  21. Mich - Piece of Cake says

    September 10, 2012 at 1:01 pm

    Looks delicious, Jasline. Would love to have this when its cold… hot soupy noodles are a great idea!

    Reply
  22. gottagetbaked says

    September 10, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    I have to make this ASAP. I LOVE noodle soups, especially with a fried egg on top!

    Reply
  23. yummychunklet says

    September 10, 2012 at 7:50 am

    I love that egg!

    Reply
  24. Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy says

    September 10, 2012 at 7:46 am

    I do love this recipe and the step by step presentation! Delish!

    Reply
  25. ChgoJohn says

    September 10, 2012 at 5:22 am

    Sometimes you want soup but don’t want to wait hours for it to cook. This looks like the perfect recipe for those days and we’re just entering into soup season. Yum! I don’t believe I’ve seen dried anchovies before in the Asian markets I frequent but, then again, it’s not like I was searching for them, either. I will now, though.

    Reply
  26. girlinafoodfrenzy says

    September 10, 2012 at 3:51 am

    Yet another lovely example of wholesome home cooking on a whim! Sometimes the best meals are the impromptu ones 🙂

    Reply
  27. Choc Chip Uru says

    September 10, 2012 at 3:39 am

    What a simple but flavoursome and delicious looking soup my friend 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  28. A_Boleyn says

    September 10, 2012 at 2:17 am

    I did wonder what the little things were … dried anchovies. I bet they add a lot of punch flavour-wise to the soup. And it seems like it would be very fast to make with simple ingredients. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  29. apuginthekitchen says

    September 9, 2012 at 11:31 pm

    I have never seen dried anchovies, they are white or light in color? This soup looks comforting and wonderful and is so quick to put together. The perfect cold weather meal. So wonderful!!

    Reply

What are you thinking?Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

logo
Food Advertisements by

Popular on Foodie Baker

My Grandparents' Hokkien Bak Chang (福建咸肉粽 / Glutinous Rice Dumplings)
Stove-Top BBQ Pulled Pork [Bonus Recipe: KFC Coleslaw]
Red Date Longan Tea with Goji Berries
Mom's Chinese Potato and Minced Pork Stew
3-Minute Easy Chocolate Sauce
Stove-Top BBQ Pork Ribs
15-Minutes Mushroom Sauce (for Steaks and Mashed Potatoes)
2-Ingredient Sour Cream Biscuits
Julia Child's Basic Crêpes Recipe (For Both Savoury and Sweet)
ABC Soup

Footer

About Foodie Baker

Hi there! I am Foodie Baker - the baker, the cook, the author, the part-time photographer (my husband X takes most of the travel photos), and pretty much the slave behind Foodie Baker. Welcome and I hope you managed to find something you like. :)

stay connected

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Menu

  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Cake Pan Conversions Calculator
  • Travelogues

Subscribe via email

Copyright © 2025 Foodie Baker on the Cookd Pro Theme

Scroll Up
%d