Mee Siam and Sambal

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

Water for scalding vermicelli

1 pkt Coarse rice vermicelli (or subst, Angelhair

250 grams Beansprouts

100 grams Chinese chives

500 grams Small prawns

2 cups Fried tofu (about 2 cups, cut into short strips of 1x2x½cm)

5 tablespoons Oil

1 lrg Onion, sliced

250 ml Water

2 tablespoons Tamarind powder

4 Hardboiled eggs, sliced

5 tablespoons Dried prawns (pounded separately)

5 lrg Onions

4 Cloves garlic

6 Candlenuts (or subst, Macadamia nuts)

20 Dried chillies

2 tablespoons Belacan (prawn paste)

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

2 lt Water

4 tablespoons Tamarind powder

3 tablespoons Fried rempah (see method)

2 tablespoons Preserved, fermented soy beans, mashed a little

2 teaspoons Sugar

1/4 Coconut, grated

150 ml Water

Preparation

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.

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 rema

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.