Mee Siam

My dear friend Mee Lan cooked this for me when I visited her.  It was the yummiest Mee Siam I've ever tasted.  I think the secret to this delicious dish is the addition of ginger flower (bunga kantan) and kaffir lime leaves.   The exotic floral fragrance of the ginger flower  and the intense fragrance of the kaffir lime leaves enhance the aroma and flavour of this dish.  Thanks a lot my dear friend for sharing this wonderful recipe with me. 

 

Ingredients:  (Serves 5 - 6)

300g  rice vermicelli (meehoon) - soaked in water for 5 minutes and drained

300g prawns, shelled and deveined

2 pcs firm tofu, sliced

200g beansprouts
150g chives, cut into 2cm length

80g dried shrimps, wash and chopped coarsely

4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded finely

1/3 cup oil

Ingredients to be pounded together:

4 cloves garlic

4 shallots

1 small knob of fresh turmeric (or 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder)

3 birds eye chillies (up to individual)

2 candlenuts

1 stalk lemongrass

3 tbsp chopped ginger flower (bunga kantan)

Seasonings: 

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp chicken stock granules

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp tamarind paste

2 cups water

• Heat oil in a frying pan.  Lightly fry the chopped dried shrimps and tofu separately.  Dish out and leave aside.
• Stir fry  the pounded ingredients and kaffir lime leaves until aromatic.  Add prawns and fry until they are half-cooked.  Dish out the prawns and set aside. 
• Add in seasonings and bring to the boil.  Add meehoon and stir fry.  
• Mix in dried shrimps, tofu slices, prawns, chives and beansprouts.  Toss well.
• Serve hot with a drizzle of lime/lemon juice.