Nonya Noodle Recipes - Mee Siam

Nonya Noodle Recipes - Mee Siam or Rice Noodles in Spicy Gravy

Nonya Noodle Recipes - Mee Siam or Rice Noodles in Spicy Gravy is a noodle dish influenced by neighboring Thailand, formerly known as Siam. Thin rice vermicelli [Lo Mien noodles] are stir fried in a special sauce with shrimp. A squeeze of limau kasturi [kalamansi limes] is added just before eating, adds to this unique tasting noodle dish.

Mee Siam or Rice Noodles in Spicy Gravy Ingredients:
250 gm rice vermicelli
200 gm hard bean curd
oil for frying
250 gm fresh beansprouts
250 gm small cooked prawns, peeled and deveined
1 small bundle garlic chives or 6 spring onions, cut into bite-sized     lengths 2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
2 limes, quartered, or 6 limau kesturi, halved

Mee Siam or Rice Noodles in Spicy Gravy Spice Paste:
6 large dried red chillies
2 tablespoons small dried shrimp
6 brown shallots or 2 brown onions
3 cloves garlic
1 stem lemongrass, white portion only, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (blacan)
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon canned salted soybeans
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 x 400 ml can coconut milk
walnut-sized piece of dried tamarind or 2 tablespoons tamarind
    puree

Mee Siam or Rice Noodles in Spicy Gravy Method Step by Step:
1. Drop the rice vermicelli into a large pan of boiling water, boil for 2 minutes, drain in a colander and run cold water through to stop cooking. Drain again.

2. Cut the bean curd into 1 cm thick slices, press on paper towels to absorb the excess moisture and fry in oil until golden on both sides. Drain, cool and dice.

3. Wash the beansprouts and pinch off any straggly tails. Set aside.

4. To make the Spice Paste, soak the dried chillies and dried shrimp in enough hot water to cover for 15 minutes. Put in an electric blender with 2 tablespoons of the soaking water and the shallots, garlic, lemongrass and shrimp paste. Blend to a puree, adding a little of the oil if necessary.

5. Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a wok and on low heat fry the puree, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the soybeans, sugar and salt.

6. Remove half the cooked paste to a saucepan, stir in the coconut milk and the same amount of water. Soak the dried tamarind in about 125 ml hot water and, when softened, knead to dissolve the pulp. Strain the liquid and add to the saucepan, stirring constantly while bringing to simmering point. If using tamarind puree, just add and simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes.

7. Reheat the remaining paste and toss the prawns, beansprouts and chives for i minute. Add the drained rice vermicelli, toss and stir until well combined and heated through. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the fried bean curd, eggs and limes.

8. Serve the hot gravy in a separate deep dish so each person can take a serving of rice noodles, then ladle the gravy over. For extra flavour. squeeze a little lime juice into the gravy. A small dish of sliced fresh chillies or a hot sambal may be served alongside.

NOTE: Limau kesturi are also known as Chinese limes, citrus microcarpa and kalamansi.