Mee Siam (Spicy Rice Vermicelli)

 

Did I ever tell you that Dear Hubby can cook?

Well, he is not to shabby in this department (just that he does not do it often). One of his signature dish would be the Mee Siam.

So, whenever the family yearns for Mee Siam, DH would be the one to dish it out.

However, this time around. I have decided to cook the Mee Siam. I have steered myself away from DH’s version which uses dried shrimps and belachan. I googled and found this version from Rasa Malaysia.

Mee Siam or “Siamese noodles” is basically spicy fried rice vermicelli with various toppings such as shrimp, chicken, fried firm tofu, and shredded omelet. This is a simple one dish meal and is popular in Malaysia and Singapore. There are 2 different version though The Singaporeans have theirs wet while the Malaysians version is dry. The one I made is Malaysian dry Mee Siam

 

    

MEE SIAM RECIPE (SPICY RICE VERMICELLI)

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz (340gm) vermicelli (I used 500gm)
12 oz (340gm) bean sprouts (I used 500gm)
12 shrimps (shelled and deveined) (I used 25)
4 oz chicken (cut into thin strips) (I omitted this)
3 pieces fried bean curd/firm tofu (cut into pieces)
3 stalks Chinese chives (chopped into 1-inch length)
1 teaspoon sugar (I omitted this)
Salt to taste
Soy sauce or fish sauce to taste
3 tablespoons oil

SPICE PASTE:

4 red chilies
5 shallots
5 garlic
2 tablespoons taucheo (fermented yellow bean sauce)

GARNISH:

2 eggs (lightly beaten, seasoned with a pinch of salt)
2 stalks scallions (chopped into 1/2-inch length)
2 limes (cut into wedges) (I used calamansi)
1 red chili (thinly sliced)

METHOD:

Soak the vermicelli in warm water for about 30 minutes or until they turn soft. Drain and set aside. Using a food processor, grind the spice paste and set aside. Heat up a wok with some oil and make the beaten eggs into an omelet. Fold and slice the omelet thinly. Set aside.

Heat up the wok and add 3 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is heated. fry the spice paste until aromatic and the oil separates. Add shrimps and chicken, stir-frying until half done, then add the fried tofu pieces.

Add the vermicelli and keep stirring until the the spice paste has spread evenly. Add sugar and salt to taste, follow by bean sprouts and chives. Continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt or sugar to taste. If the noodles taste bland, add a little soy sauce / fish sauce to taste.

Transfer the Mee Siam onto a big serving bowl and garnish with the omelet strips, chopped scallions, chili and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Verdict :  Yummy…. the family loved it. Now we have 2 versions for Mee Siam. (Mom’s or Dad’s!)