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Mee Siam
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Mee Siam (Rice noodles in a tangy gravy with seafood)
Visitors to Singapore who eat this dish go home with a vivid memory of its pungent flavours and a craving to match. The recipe may seem like a big production but most of the components can be prepared in advance.
Ingredients:
REMPAH
4 quarter-size slices of fresh galangal, cut up. Dried galangal could be used instead but use only half as much. Soak dried galangal in water for 1 hour before cutting up.
5 candlenuts, soaked in water for 10 minutes or skinless almonds
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and sliced
10 shallots (walnut-size) or 2 large onions, peeled and halved
2 teaspoons blachan (dried shrimp paste)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Red Chile Paste
1 tablespoon tau cheo
*
2½ cups tamarind water
5 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound dried rice vermicelli (bee hoon)
2 shallots
5 clove garlic
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Red Chile Paste
1 pound fresh bean sprouts
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, soaked in water until soft and pliable (about 10 minutes)
Garnishes
12 ounces large shrimp (31 to 35 per pound), poached
4 squares deep-fried tofu, each cut into 3 strips
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into wedges
1 cup chopped Chinese chives or green onions
2 limes, cut into quarters
Procedure:
- To make the rempah, grind the galangal, candlenuts, lemongrass, shallots and blachan to a smooth paste in a blender or food processor.
- Add a tablespoon or more of water if needed to facilitate the blending.
- Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add the red chile paste and fry, stirring continuously until oil takes on a reddish-hue.
- Add the grounded mixture, tau cheo and fry over low heat, until ingredients are completely combined.
- Continue frying until rempah is fragrant and has a deep mahogany-red colour and porridge-like consistency. It is ready when reddish oil seeps out.
- Add the tamarind water, 4½ tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 5 minutes and keep warm. This will be the mee siam's gravy.
- Cover the dried vermicelli with boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
- Grind the shallots and garlic to a paste in a mini food processor or blender. Preheat the wok, add in the oil and red chile paste and fry over medium-high heat for 1 minute, stirring continuously to prevent paste from burning.
- Add the garlic-shallot blend, fry for 30 seconds without browning. Add the noodles and remaining sugar and salt. Stir-fry until noodles are stained red. Toss in bean sprouts and rehydrated shrimp. Stir-fry until bean sprouts begin to wilt.
- To serve, divide noodles among 4 soup bowls. Pour hot gravy over the noodles and top each bowl with some poached shrimp, fried tofu, hard-cooked eggs, chives and lime wedges for squeezing. Serve hot for best effect.
 
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