Salty, tangy and with a little bit of sweetness to bring it all together – this is my version of the classic Malaysian noodle dish, Mee Siam. It’s a super easy stir-fry to throw together for dinner any night of the week.
PREP TIME
15 minutes
COOK TIME
35 minutes
SERVES
4
Ingredients
150g (5.3 oz) rice vermicelli noodles
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150g (5.3 oz) thinly sliced chicken thigh fillets
12 green prawns, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp dark sweet soy sauce
4 spring onions (scallions), cut into batons
½ cup bean shoots, plus extra to serve
lime wedges, to serve
Chilli paste:
6 long red chillies, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp fine grated ginger
1 tbsp yellow bean paste
½ tbsp tamarind
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp shrimp paste
Omelette:
2 eggs
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Steps
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Place the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside for later.
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For the chilli paste, place the chilli, onion and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely chopped (almost paste-like). Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat and add the chilli mixture. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the mixture has softened. Add the ginger, yellow bean paste, tamarind, sugar and shrimp paste. Cook, stirring often, for another 10 minutes or until the mixture looks thick and jammy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside for later.
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To make the omelette, whisk the eggs with the pepper. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the egg and swirl so that a thin omelette forms. Cook for a minute or until golden on the first side and then flip the omelette over and cook for another half a minute or until cooked through. Transfer to a chopping board. Roll up the omelette and cut into thick ‘noodles’.
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To cook the noodles, heat the oil in wok over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the prawns and stir-fry until just cooked. Add a quarter cup of the chilli paste and stir-fry until well combined. Add the noodles, fish sauce and dark sweet soy sauce. Toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Toss through the spring onion and bean shoots.
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Divide the noodles among serving plates and top with the strands of egg and a little handful of bean shoots. Serve with lime wedges.
What is Mee Siam?
Mee Siam is a rice noodle stir fry that is super popular within Malaysia and Singapore. There are typically two types – dry vs. wet Mee Siam. The Malaysian iteration of the dish is dry (this just means it’s not swimming in sauce), while the Singaporean version is traditionally wet and topped with ‘gravy’ (just not the kind you’d find on your hot chips).
Malaysian Mee Siam consists of stir-fried spicy vermicelli rice noodles with a variety of toppings, which typically include chicken, prawns and omelette. If you prefer to go meat-free or are a vegetarian, you could add tofu instead.
Mee siam is a hearty meal in its own right, so there’s no need to serve it with rice or roti. Mee siam is served with lime wedges, so be sure to squeeze them over your salty-sweet stir fry to add that extra citrus tang!
What does Mee Siam taste like?
Mee Siam is spicy, sweet and a little bit sour. Mee Siam is often served with lime wedges on the side, so squeeze the juice over your noodles to add extra tang to this super easy stir-fry.
What is tamarind?
Tamarind is a funky tasting, tangy, slightly sweet fruit that is often used in Malaysian recipes and Thai cuisine. You can find tamarind in the Asian section of your local supermarket, or from your Asian grocer. You will most likely find tamarind called tamarind concentrate or tamarind puree…but if you can’t get your hands on it, tamarind is completely shelf stable so can be ordered online and stored in your pantry until you need it!
Tamarind might not be something that everyone is familiar with, but if you want to make an authentic and delicious Malaysian Mee Siam it is DEFINITELY worth getting your hands on.
Soooo YUMMY!
Very easy to make. I used all the ingredients per the recipe but added a bit more dark sweet soy sauce for my taste preferences. There were NO leftovers 😯.