Peranakan Dry Mee Siam

Method25 steps · about 1 hr 25 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the eight eggs into a pot and add the measured 2 l water and 1 tsp white rice vinegar. The water should cover the eggs. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then boil for the author’s 20-minute guide.

   Turn off egg pot · 20 minUses 8 eggs · 2 l water, for boiling eggs · 1 tsp white rice vinegar, for egg-boiling water

2. 2

   Step 2: Turn off the heat under the eggs from step 1. Keep the pot covered for another 10 minutes.

   Cool the cooked eggs · 10 minUses Boiled eggs in cooking water

3. 3

   Step 3: Transfer the cooked eggs from step 2 into cold tap water. Once cool enough to handle, peel and cut into round slices. Discard the shells and cooling water; refrigerate the egg slices until serving.

   Uses Eggs only, excluding discarded cooking water · Cold tap water, for cooling the cooked eggs

4. 4

   Step 4: Wash the 150 g dried shrimp and soak in one rice bowl of hot water until softened. Lift and drain the shrimp, keeping their soaking liquid separately. Blend the softened shrimp. Have both the shrimp and reserved liquid ready before heating the wok.

   Uses 150 g dried shrimp (Hay Bee) · Clean water, for washing dried shrimp · 1 rice bowl hot water, for soaking dried shrimp

5. 5

   Step 5: Soak the packet of dry bee hoon in warm, not boiling, water for about 20–25 minutes, checking from 20 minutes until pliable. Drain, rinse and drain again, discarding the soaking and rinsing water.

   Check soaked bee hoon · 20 minUses 1 packet dry rice vermicelli (bee hoon; source Chilli Brand) · Warm water, enough to soak the dry rice vermicelli · Clean water, for rinsing soaked rice vermicelli

6. 6

   Step 6: Measure the shrimp soaking liquid reserved in step 4 into a jug. Add fresh water until the combined liquid totals 1 l. Use this mixture to soften and mash the 200 g tamarind, then strain out its seeds and pulp. Keep the strained tamarind liquid for the noodles.

   Uses Recovered liquid only; softened ground shrimp stays reserved for frying · Fresh water, enough to bring the reserved shrimp soaking liquid to 1 l total · 200 g tamarind (assam; source Dahlia Brand)

7. 7

   Step 7: Mash the 5 tbsp tau cheo and keep ready.

   Uses 5 tbsp tau cheo (preserved soy beans; source CTS Brand)

8. 8

   Step 8: Mix the 5 tbsp chilli powder with 3 tbsp water to make a paste. Keep ready.

   Uses 5 tbsp chilli powder · 3 tbsp water, for chilli paste

9. 9

   Step 9: Peel and blend the 12–14 shallots. Keep ready.

   Uses 12–14 shallots

10. 10

    Step 10: Wash and blend the four culinary candlenuts. Keep this raw paste separate and do not taste it before it has been thoroughly cooked.

    Uses 4 culinary candlenuts (buah keras) · Clean water, for washing culinary candlenuts

11. 11

    Step 11: Peel and chop the five garlic cloves. Reserve 1 tsp of the chopped garlic for frying the sprouts, and keep the remaining chopped garlic for the chilli paste.

    Uses 5 cloves garlic, chopped and divided

12. 12

    Step 12: Trim, wash and drain the 400–500 g bean sprouts.

    Uses 400–500 g bean sprouts · Clean water, for washing bean sprouts

13. 13

    Step 13: Wash and drain the half packet of Chinese chives, then cut into short lengths for serving.

    Uses ½ packet Chinese chives (ku chye) · Clean water, for washing Chinese chives

14. 14

    Step 14: Cut the 3–4 tau pok and 2–3 tau kua pieces into thin strips, keeping the two tofu types separate.

    Uses 3–4 pieces tau pok (fried tofu puffs) · 2–3 pieces tau kua (firm pressed tofu)

15. 15

    Step 15: Wash and halve the 10–12 limes. Keep ready for serving.

    Uses 10–12 limes · Clean water, for washing limes

16. 16

    Step 16: Heat 2 tbsp of the divided oil (2 tbsp) in a wok. Fry the tau kua strips from step 14 until golden, then lift onto a clean plate. In the same wok, fry the tau pok strips from step 14 for a few minutes and lift onto the plate, keeping the two types identifiable. Leave the remaining pan oil in the wok.

    Uses 2 tbsp oil · Tau kua only · Tau pok only

17. 17

    Step 17: Keep the pan oil (2 tbsp) from step 16 in the same wok and add another 2 tbsp of the divided oil. Fry the reserved 1 tsp chopped garlic from step 11 until fragrant, then add the drained sprouts from step 12. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, checking that the sprouts are thoroughly cooked and hot throughout; continue if needed. Lift the sprouts onto a clean plate and leave the oil in the wok.

    Check thoroughly cooked sprouts · 3 minUses Pan oil only, excluding the lifted tofu · 2 tbsp oil · 1 tsp chopped garlic reserved for the sprouts · Sprouts only, excluding washing water

18. 18

    Step 18: Add 5 tbsp of the divided oil (5 tbsp) to the pan oil remaining from step 17. Add the softened, ground dried shrimp from step 4 and stir-fry until fragrant.

    Uses Pan oil only, excluding the lifted sprouts · 5 tbsp oil · Shrimp only; their soaking liquid is already reserved for the tamarind mixture

19. 19

    Step 19: Push the fried shrimp from step 18 to the sides of the wok. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of the divided oil (1 tbsp) to the centre.

    Uses Fried dried shrimp and pan oil · 1 tbsp oil

20. 20

    Step 20: Add the remaining chopped garlic from step 11, blended shallots from step 9, candlenut paste from step 10 and chilli paste from step 8 to the centre of the wok from step 19. Fry over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring so the paste does not burn. Keep cooking the candlenut paste through the following frying and boiling stages before tasting.

    Combine shrimp with paste · 2 minUses Fried shrimp around the sides and oil in the wok · Chopped garlic excluding the teaspoon reserved for sprouts · Shallot paste only, excluding peel · Candlenut paste only, excluding washing water · Chilli paste

21. 21

    Step 21: Mix the fried shrimp around the wok in step 20 back into the paste and fry for another 1–2 minutes, checking from 1 minute. Add the mashed tau cheo from step 7 and mix well.

    Mix in mashed tau cheo · 1 minUses Fried shrimp and cooking chilli-aromatic paste · Mashed tau cheo

22. 22

    Step 22: Add all the strained tamarind liquid from step 6 and the 5 tbsp brown sugar to the wok mixture from step 21. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring the sauce to a boil. Add the drained soaked bee hoon from step 5; the shrimp soaking liquid is already included in the tamarind liquid.

    Uses Cooked shrimp, chilli paste and tau cheo · Strained combined liquid only, excluding seeds and pulp · 5 tbsp brown sugar · Noodles only, excluding discarded soaking and rinsing water

23. 23

    Step 23: Toss and fry the noodles and sauce from step 22 until the noodles are soft and fully cooked, turning gently so they do not break. Add a little optional extra water only if the noodles are too dry, and continue until the sauce and candlenut paste are thoroughly cooked.

    Uses Soaked noodles in boiling tamarind-shrimp sauce · A little extra water, only if the noodles are too dry

24. 24

    Step 24: Add the fried tau kua and tau pok reserved in step 16 and thoroughly cooked sprouts reserved in step 17 to the finished noodles from step 23. Mix gently and heat through.

    Uses Fully cooked dry mee siam · Tau kua only, excluding pan oil and tau pok · Tau pok only, excluding pan oil and tau kua · Sprouts only, excluding retained pan oil

25. 25

    Step 25: Serve the hot mee siam from step 24 with the cooked egg slices from step 3, cut chives from step 13 and lime halves from step 15. Add optional ready cooked chilli sauce or sambal shrimp to taste. Eight meal portions is the author guide. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate at 4°C or below.

    Uses Finished hot mee siam with tofu and sprouts · Egg slices only, excluding shells and discarded cooling water · Chives only, excluding washing water · Limes only, excluding washing water · Ready cooked chilli sauce, optional for serving · Ready cooked sambal shrimp, optional for serving