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Mee siam
Mee siam: rice vermicelli in a tangy tamarind and dried shrimp gravy with egg and tofu puffs
Malay breakfast stalls and nasi padang counters across Singapore sell mee siam from early morning, often packed in brown paper for the journey to work, and Peranakan homes make it for birthdays and Hari Raya open houses. Thin rice vermicelli is fried with a chilli and dried shrimp rempah until pink, then drowned in a sweet-sour tamarind gravy flavoured with fermented soybean paste, and topped with halved boiled eggs, fried tofu puffs, garlic chives and a squeeze of calamansi. It is light, tangy and moreish rather than rich. Note this version contains dried shrimp and shrimp paste, so it is not vegetarian. The mistake to avoid is oversoaking the vermicelli, which then breaks into mush in the wok; soak it only until pliable. Chef's tip: make the gravy the day before; the tamarind and soybean flavours settle overnight and it tastes rounder.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rempah
- 15 dried red chilliesseeded, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- 10 shallotspeeled
- 1 ⅜ oz dried shrimpsoaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained
- 1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)toasted
- ½ cup neutral oil
For the gravy
- 2 ⅛ oz tamarind pulpmashed in 300 ml warm water and strained
- 2 tbsp fermented soybean paste (taucheo)lightly mashed
- 4 tbsp sugarto taste
- 1 tsp saltto taste
- 1 onionthinly sliced
For the noodles
- 10 ½ oz dried rice vermicellisoaked in cold water for 15–20 minutes until just pliable
- 5 ½ oz bean sprouts
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 4 eggshard-boiled for 9 minutes, halved
- 6 tofu puffs (tau pok)fried until crisp, sliced
- 1 oz garlic chivescut into 3 cm lengths
- 4 calamansi or limehalved
- 5 ½ oz cooked peeled prawns (optional)optional
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Blend the drained 15 dried red chillies, 10 shallots, 4 garlic cloves, 1 ⅜ oz dried shrimp and 1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan) with 3 tablespoons of water to a fine paste.
Step 2: Heat ½ cup neutral oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry the paste, stirring often, until deep red, fragrant and the oil splits out.
12 minStep 3: Scoop out half of the fried rempah and set it aside for the noodles.
Step 4: To the rempah in the wok, add 1 onion and fry for 2 minutes until soft, then stir in 2 tbsp fermented soybean paste (taucheo) for 1 minute.
3 minStep 5: Pour in the strained 2 ⅛ oz tamarind pulp water and 1 litre of water, add 4 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste: it should be clearly sour and sweet, with a gentle chilli heat; adjust with more sugar or salt.
10 minStep 6: In a clean wok, heat the reserved rempah over a medium heat and add 100 ml of water. Add the drained 10 ½ oz dried rice vermicelli and ½ tsp salt and toss with tongs for 3–4 minutes, until the noodles are evenly pink and have absorbed the liquid.
4 minStep 7: Add 5 ½ oz bean sprouts and toss for 1 minute more, until just wilted. Divide between four bowls.
1 minStep 8: Top with 4 eggs, 6 tofu puffs (tau pok), 1 oz garlic chives and 5 ½ oz cooked peeled prawns, then ladle over the hot gravy. Serve with 4 calamansi or lime and squeeze it in just before eating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mee siam take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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