Fried Saimin: A Dish That Everyone Will Love
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Fried Saimin: My Go-To Potluck Dish
Fried Saimin is a delicious and hearty dish that’s perfect for a quick meal. It’s made with the classic saimin noodles, vegetables, and meat. Almost everyone who has grown up in Hawaii can testify indulging in Fried Saimin at potlucks, home meals, or at the mom-and-pop shops.
I’ve had Fried Saimin many times at the grad party, baptism celebration, and family gathering. Every household had a different take on it, but they all had the same umami flavors unique to Fried Saimin.
What is Fried Saimin?
Fried Saimin is basically noodles stir fried and topped with the same toppings as regular saimin, but minus the liquid broth. It’s very similar to Dry Mein. If you’ve been to Hawaii’s McDonald’s you would have noticed that they sell saimin as well. Well, similarly S&S also sells their version of saimin in a cup.
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S&S’s cup of noodle usually comes with frozen fresh noodles, kamaboko, ham, dehydrated green onions, and their classic dashi packet. To make this saimin bowl is to simply pour boiling hot water into the bowl and let it sit for a few minutes. Then enjoy this piping hot saimin bowl!
Fried Saimin: Ingredients
But, let’s take this saimin bowl up a notch with using fresh and more ingredients. There are many different types of noodles that can be used, but the most classic noodle used is with S&S. But it is debatable between S&S or Sun Noodles.
Every household has different versions of Fried Saimin based on their preferences for the toppings. Here is my version of the ingredients for my Fried Saimin: (You are free to change it to your preference)
- S&S Noodles
- Vegetables: cabbage, carrots, onions
- Meat: SPAM, kamaboko, char siu
- Sauce: shoyu (soy sauce), dashi
- Other toppings: eggs, green onions, sesame oil
Step-by-Step Fried Saimin Instructions
Making Fried Saimin is so simple and quick. I’ve narrowed down the instructions to be easy to follow along. Here’s how to make fried saimin:
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions or until it is al dente. *
- In the meantime, prepare other ingredients such as the veggies and meat.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and drizzle in some oil.
- Fry the spam until it is slightly crispy. Then add in the onions and carrots. Stir fry for a few minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add in the cabbage and half of the green onions. Stir fry for a few minutes.
- Add in the kamaboko and eggs. Stir fry for a few minutes. Then remove it from the pan and set it aside in a separate bowl or plate.
- Using the same pot, drizzle in some oil. Add in the cooked noodles and fry them for a few minutes.
- Add in some sesame oil to the noodles.Then add in the saimin dashi. Give it a quick stir to combine the dashi with the noodles.
- Add in the shoyu and stir until the noodles are evenly coated in the flavors. Lastly, add back the cooked toppings. Mix everything together and stir fry for a few minutes. Cook longer if you want crispier noodles.
- Serve it hot and enjoy this onolicious Fried Saimin!
Tips: Elevate Your Fried Saimin Dish
After making this dish a multitude of times, I have a few simple tips to help bring your Fried Saimin to a whole new level. Here are a few tips for making the best fried saimin:
- Use fresh noodles, especially from S&S Noodles for more of a traditional Fried Saimin.
- To get that “saimin” flavor, use S&S’s dashi powder.
- Don’t overcook the noodles because the noodles will be cooked again as you stir fry it.
- Adding in a dash of sesame oil is optional, but it gives it a nice nutty and umami flavor to the dish.
Flavorful Twists: Exploring Fried Saimin Variations
The classic saimin usually consists of meat, egg, vegetables, and broth. Because this is the “fried” version of saimin, we minus the broth and instead use the dashi to season the dish. There are most certainly different variations to the toppings, noodles, and meat. So here are a few suggested variations of fried saimin:
- You can use different types of noodles, like ramen or udon.
- You can add different vegetables, like bok choy, bean sprouts, or celery.
- You can use different types of meat, like char siu, chicken, beef, shrimp, or ham.
Wrap-Up: Savoring the Fried Saimin Experience
Fried Saimin is a delicious and easy dish that’s perfect for a quick meal. I hope you enjoy this onolicious Fried Saimin!
Give this onolicious recipe a try! If you did give it a try, please leave a comment with a star rating below. Mahalo!
Fried Saimin
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil divided
- 2 pkg saimin noodles 5 oz each
- ¼ cup sliced SPAM
- ¼ cup sliced kamaboko fish cake
- ½ cup shredded cabbage
- ½ cup julienned carrot
- ½ cup sliced onion
- ½ cup green onions divided for garnishing
- 2 eggs scrambled and sliced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Sliced char siu optional
Sauce:
- 1 pkg pkg dashi packet (about ½ tbsp)
- 1 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions or until it is al dente. *
- In the meantime, prepare other ingredients such as the veggies and meat.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and drizzle in about 1 tablespoon oil.
- Fry the spam until it is slightly crispy. Then add in the onions and carrots. Stir fry for a few minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add in the cabbage and half of the green onions. Stir fry for a few minutes.
- Add in the kamaboko and eggs. Stir fry for a few minutes. Then remove it from the pan and set it aside in a separate bowl or plate.
- Using the same pot, drizzle in 1 tablespoon oil. Add in the cooked noodles and fry for a few minutes.
- Drizzle in the sesame oil to the noodles. Then add in the saimin dashi and give it a quick stir to combine the dashi with the noodles.
- Add in the shoyu and stir until the noodles are evenly coated in the flavors. Lastly, add back the cooked toppings. Mix everything together and stir fry for a few minutes. Cook longer if you want crispier noodles.
- Serve it hot and enjoy this onolicious Fried Saimin!
