Curry Mee/Curry Laksa

mycookinghut October 20, 2008

Thanks to Bee at Rasa Malaysia for featuring me as a guest writer this time. I have chosen to introduce Curry Mee/Curry Laksa without much hesitation. The recipe of Curry Mee/Curry Laksa is now featured on Rasa Malaysia, where you can find a lot of Malaysian and Asian recipes.

Both of us being Malaysians, I have to say that dishes that Bee made and posted on her blog with all the stunning pictures always bring back my food memories in Malaysia. She always portrays true Northern-style cooking that never leave spices behind!

Please hop over there to check out my guest post on Curry Mee/Curry Laksa.

Curry Mee or also known as Curry Laksa (in the Southern part of Malaysia and its neighbouring country, Singapore) is a popular hawker’s dish. Curry Mee/Curry Laksa is a dish that’s full of flavours–slightly creamy soup infused with coconut milk, the spiciness of the chilli and fragrance of spices; never fails to satisfy my appetite to have it for breakfast or lunch. It has been too long since the last time I had Curry Mee. So, I am delighted to make this dish.

Due to the fact that Curry Mee/Curry Laksa can easily be bought from hawkers stalls in Malaysia and Singapore, it’s not a dish that is cooked so frequently at home. However, being thousands miles away from homeland, I am determined to bring the flavours of Curry Mee to my kitchen.

I have had many “versions” of Curry Mee. What I meant was the ingredients accompanied in Curry Mee tend to be slightly different from one hawker to another.

The most basic one that I have ever had in my hometown was at a stall run by a family that I used to go so frequently with my sister during weekends when we were young. Back then, a bowl of Curry Mee was about 50 – 60 sen (less than 1 Ringgit!) The portion wasn’t big. The ingredients are egg noodles/vermicelli or both, chinese long beans, deep fried tofu (tau pok), bean sprouts, cockles, and slices of hard boiled eggs served in curry broth. The specialty is there’s an option to add “Bak You Pok” (deep fried pork fat) So crunchy and yummy! But not good for health!

The more luxury one is with pieces of curry chicken added. In Penang, I have tried those with cockles, blood cake (cooked pig’s blood) and prawns. Well, I know, cooked pig’s blood? It was OK even though sounds a bit gross. I usually opt that out.

Something is missing? Yes, you are right! How could I have missed out the chili that is usually optional to add to this wonderful bowl of Curry Mee? Never is ever complete without some spice in the food!

Well, I love to have a lot of ingredients in my noodles. So, this time, I have decided to put both chicken and prawns along with others except cockles and pig’s blood. I love it, tell me if you do?

currymee2

Curry Laksa/Curry Mee

Yield:

Ingredients:

600g shelled cockles/bloody clams (optional)
500g prawns, steamed and shelled; use the heads to sweeten the stock by liquidising them with 500ml water
3 to 4 pieces soaked cuttlefish heads
200g fried soya bean cubes/tow pok (halved or quartered)
200g cooked pig’s blood, cut into cubes (optional)
300g shredded, cooked chicken meat
500g blanched bean sprouts
600g blanched yellow noodles
300g blanched vermicelli/rice sticks
1kg grated coconut, mixed with 4 litres water and squeezed for the coconut milk to be used as main stock

Seasoning:
4 tbsp salt or to taste
1 1/2 tbsp rock sugar
1/2 tbsp MSG (optional)

Spices (finely ground):
100g shallots
25g garlic
3 tbsp coriander seeds
4 tbsp chilli paste
2 tbsp sliced lemon grass
10 peppercorns
1/2 tbsp belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste) granules

Chili oil:
110g chili paste
25g garlic, pounded
175ml to 200ml oil

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 cup oil to saute the spices till fragrant. Add in salt, rock sugar and 500ml general santan and bring to a low boil till sugar dissolves. Add in the rest of the coconut milk, tow pok, and pig’s blood, if used.

2. When soup comes to a boil, add prawn stock and seasoning, then bring to just boiling point. Remove from fire and use stock as a soup for the yellow noodles and vermicelli. (Should the gravy or stock curdle, strain it.)

3. For the chili oil: Saute garlic and chili paste in oil until the chili disintegrates and oil floats to the surface. (Use this to garnish when serving.)