Mee siam and sambal

1 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
Water for scalding vermicelli
1packCoarse rice vermicelli (or subst, Angelhair pasta)
250gramsBeansprouts
100gramsChinese chives
500gramsSmall prawns
2cupsFried tofu (about 2 cups, cut into short strips of 1x2x1/2cm)
5tablespoonsOil
1largeOnion, sliced
250millilitresWater
2tablespoonsTamarind powder
4Hardboiled eggs, sliced
5tablespoonsDried prawns (pounded separately)
5largesOnions
4Cloves garlic
6Candlenuts (or subst, Macadamia nuts)
20Dried chillies
2tablespoonsBelacan (prawn paste)
1teaspoonSugar
1teaspoonSalt
2litresWater
4tablespoonsTamarind powder
3tablespoonsFried rempah (see method)
2tablespoonsPreserved, fermented soy beans, mashed a little
2teaspoonsSugar
¼Coconut, grated
150millilitresWater

Directions

REMPAH

GRAVY

This dish originates in Thailand, hence, the name Mee Siam, however, it is pronounced "Mee Seeyam". It is one of the local favorites in Singapore.

Source: Terry Tan's Straits Chinese Cookbook Cooking time: 25 minutes

Basic Preparation of Ingredients: Boil a large kettle of water and scald vermi- celli for 10 minutes, longer if necessary to soften until strands are pliable and soft to the touch.

Wash and remove the root ends of the beansprouts. Cut chives into 4 cm lengths. Wash and drain. Wash and peel prawns.

Sambal: Heat 5 tablespoons oil and fry pounded dried prawns for 3 minutes.

Add all other rempah ingredients except sugar and salt and fry until oil seeps out again. Add sugar and salt and stir once. Remove about half the amount of rempah and put aside. In remaining rempah, add sliced onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add prawns and tamarind liquid and simmer for five minutes. Remove and set aside.

How to Fry Vermicelli: Putting all but 3 tablespoons of the reserved rempah in a wok or large frying pan, fry vermicelli and bean- sprouts for 8-10 minutes, stirring all the time until cooked. Moisten occasionally with tamarind liquid from the gravy allow- ance if vermicelli gets dry during frying. Add about 3 tablespoons of fried tofu pieces and half the chives to this fried vermicelli. Dish up and arrange on a large plate with sliced hardboiled eggs, remaining chives and remaining soybean pieces for garnish.

Gravy: Bring tamarind liquid to a boil. Put all ingre- dients in. Adjust seasoning to suit your taste. Serve Mee Siam with sambal prawns and as much gravy as each person wants from a gravy boat.

Posted to FOODWINE Digest 28 Nov 96 From: Serene Ong <sereneo@...> Date: Sat, 30 Nov 1996 02:44:39 +0600