Serves 6-8
¼ cup tamarind paste (assam)
1 cup water
300g rice vermicelli (bee hoon), soaked in water for 30 mins, drained
100g bean sprouts, cleaned and tailed
1 + ½ tsp salt, plus extra to taste
300ml water
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 firm soybean cake (tau kua), cut into small cubes
1 tbsp fermented bean paste (tau cheo)
1 tsp sugar, plus extra to taste
For the stock
700g prawns
3 tbsp cooking oil
1L water
For the spice paste (rempah)
400g shallots
20 dried chillies, soaked in hot
water for 10 mins and drained
¾ cups cooking oil
To serve
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
5 stalks Chinese chives (goo chye)
8 limes, cut into halves
Mee Siam
1. To make the stock, peel the prawns, reserving the shells and heads. Wash the shells and heads, removing any black goo from the prawn heads. Place the shells and heads in a stockpot with the oil and fry over medium-high heat for about 8 mins.
2. Add the water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 40 mins, skimming any foam that floats to the top of the pot occasionally. Drain and set aside.
3. Clean and devein the prawns. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then add the prawns. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook the prawns for about 5 mins, or until opaque and cooked through. Drain and set aside.
4. Mix assam with water and leave to soak for 10 mins. Drain the seeds and reserve the liquid.
5. To make rempah, blend shallots and dried chillies to a smooth paste.
6. Heat oil in a wok and fry the rempah over high heat, stirring often. When it starts to dry out a little, reduce heat to medium and fry until the rempah starts to release its oils, about 20 mins. Turn off the heat and transfer ¾ of the rempah into a pot and set aside.
7. Add the bee hoon, bean sprouts and 1 tsp salt and toss to mix, adding some water to help the process along. Add a cup of prawn stock and toss to mix so that everything is evenly coated. When the bee hoon has dried out a little, remove from heat, transfer bee hoon to a large platter and set aside.
8. Take 2 tbsp of the remaining rempah and place in the wok. Fry in 3 tbsp of cooking oil. Add the tau kua and a pinch of salt, and fry for about 5 mins, or till the tau kwa is evenly coated and golden. Set aside.
9. To make the gravy, heat the remaining pot of rempah and add tau cheo. Fry for about 3 mins, then add the assam water and about 4 cups of prawn stock. Bring to a boil, then add ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Cook for 1 min and taste, adding more salt or sugar to your taste. Bring to a boil and then remove from
the heat.
10. To serve, arrange some bee hoon on a bowl or plate. Top with some tau kua, a few prawns and hard-boiled egg wedges. Ladle gravy over and then sprinkle over some Chinese chives. Serve with lime on the side for squeezing.