Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Easy Peasy Curry Mee
Ingredients
400g Yellow egg noodles, blanched (Hokkien Mee)
200g Rice noodles or rice vermicelli, blanched (Beehoon)
500g Chicken breast, boiled and shredded
500g Fresh prawns, parboiled and shelled
200g Soya bean curd, fried and quartered (Tow Pok)
500g Bean sprouts, blanched
Fried Shallots, for garnishing
Coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
For the Curry
1 cm Fresh turmeric, sliced
1 cm Fresh ginger, sliced
1 cm Galangal, sliced
2 Lemongrass, sliced
3 Candlenuts
6 dried chilli, blanched
8 Shallots, peeled
4 Garlic cloves, peeled
1 cm Dried shrimp paste (Belacan)
2 tsp Coriander seeds, crushed
2 cups Coconut milk
5 cups Chicken stock (from boiling chicken)
5 cups Prawn stock (from parboiling prawns)
3 tbsp Brown sugar
5-6 Curry leaves
For the Pan-roasted Chilli Sauce
6 Garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup Dried Prawns
1 cup Chili paste
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Dried shrimp paste
1 cup Peanut oil
How to make Easy Peasy Curry Mee
Curry mee is traditionally a northern malaysia dish and it can be as easy or as elaborate as you'd like. Blanched cockles and cuttlefish are additional ingredients but since its called easy peasy curry mee, I've decided to go with stuff that's already in my fridge. The richness of the curry is off personal taste. For thicker gravy add a bit more coconut milk than stock. Vice versa...
Use a blender or food processor to grind turmeric, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, candlenuts, dried chilli, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste, and coriander seeds into a fine paste
In a stockpot, heat oil and fry the ground paste until quite toasted and oil starts to ooze from the paste
Add chicken stock and prawn stock and bring to the boil
Add bean curd, curry leaves, brown sugar and salt to taste
Add coconut milk and reduce heat to gently simmer for 20-30 mins (to avoid curdling)
Using a pestle and mortar or blender, grind garlic, dried prawns and chilli paste
Heat sauce pan on high, add peanut or vegetable oil and saute ground paste, shrimp paste and brown sugar until colour darkens and oil starts to ooze from paste. Set aside
To serve: In a deep bowl add yellow noodles, rice noodles, bean sprouts, shredded chicken and prawn. Pour piping hot curry over and garnish with fried shallots, coriander leaves and chilli paste
Makes 4-6 servings
