Singapore Noodles

Apparently, I may not be me.

After 20yrs of marriage, BigJ and I are planning a trip away. We have never had a holiday before. Oh, we visit The Farm, in Queensland, but staying with family is not a holiday. A holiday means: not cooking, not cleaning, not seeing anyone you're related to (unless invited), the whole day stretching ahead of you just to explore, and having people wait on you for a change! Apart from 3 weekends away from our children, that has been it.... for 20 years! I deserve a holiday!!

Unfortunately for me, the Australian Government disagrees. You see, I have a secret past. I was not born in this country.

I was born in Singapore.

Now, I've always thought of that as 'exotic and exciting'. When I was born, my sisters cried because they wanted an Asian baby like the others in the hospital. They didn't consider me exotic or exciting at all, and I've never been able to convince them otherwise. But secretly, I know I am. Our holiday plan is to revisit the place of my birth.

The trouble is.... I'm not who I say I am.

I only have a foreign birth certificate. The passport office doesn't like that. Apparently it doesn't count. When I entered our lovely country as a toddler I came in on my mothers passport. OK, to get my own I need original papers proving I was registered at the High Commission. I don't have any. Not originals, and certified copies are just not the same.
I also need to prove my change of name. All the official documents with my photo and name, like drivers licence don't count either. I need to prove when I changed my name at marriage. So off I went to apply. I then found out I don't have an 'official' marriage certificate! We are married (I checked!) but way back then, you were only given a ceremonial certificate, it's no longer acceptable as a legal document.
I went to apply for a new marriage certificate, but then found out I cannot get one here as we were actually married about 5kms over the state border. I need to apply interstate.
In order to do that, I need to prove who I am.
I only have a foreign birth certificate.
See the problem?

My husband finds this highly amusing.
I don't.

Anyway, in case I'm deported, I have decided to embrace my Singaporean roots and cook... Singapore Noodles.

I know that this dish is not authentic, rather a Westernized ideal of what a real Singaporean is like. Just like me... a bit confused, and stuck between two cultures. I take solace in the fact that the dish is delicious, and proves that somehow, it all works out alright in the end.

Start off with about 300g of chicken thigh fillets. The thigh has much more flavour, and if you're just chopping it up anyway, no one will know. Marinate this in 1/4 cup of gfree soy sauce, 2 tabs of Chinese cooking wine, and 2 tabs of crushed ginger. Leave while you get everything else ready.

For my family, I use a whole packet of rice noodles. They need to be soaked in boiling water for 10mins or so, until softened, then drained.

While everything is soaking and marinating, chop up your veggies. I like to use sliced snow peas, red capsicum, spring onions, mungbean sprouts, celery and shredded carrots. Try and make them fairly uniform in size so they cook at the same time.

I buy yummy BBQ Chinese pork at a take away place as we like the flavour, but you can leave it out or use some ham or Chinese sausage if you want.

Throw in a handful of prawns to add a nice sweetness of flavour.

You also need 2 eggs, about 1/2 a cup of lfree milk or stock if you prefer, and the most important ingredient..... 2 tabs of plain old curry powder. That's right, plain old curry powder. Whisk together and put aside for now.

1. Heat your wok and cook off the drained chicken. Take out and put aside. Lightly cook the prawns, but be careful as they will heat through later and you don't want them to get dry and chewy.

2. Toss in the veggies and stir fry with a bit of water to moisten which will help add some steam and cook quickly.

3. Add the noodles and meats and stir thoroughly to heat through and mix evenly- or some one will complain that they didn't get her share of prawns, or he got too many veggies.

4. Pour in the egg and curry mix and toss around and around and around. The egg mix will coat the noodles and cook off with the residual heat.

5. Dish up and enjoy!

So Readers, do you have any hidden secrets?