Mee Siam

Serves 8-10


Ingredients:

1kg meehoon, soaked & drained
1kg fresh prawns, shelled & deveined; reserve shells
900ml water
salt to taste
1 cup (120ml) cooking oil
10 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cakes yellow bean curd, diced
2 tbsp salted soya beans, rinsed & mashed
4 tbsp light soya sauce
500g bean sprouts, tails removed
125g spring onions, cut into 2.5cm length
6 red chillies, seeded & thinly sliced slantwise
20 shallots, sliced & fried crisp
4 eggs, hard-boiled, shelled & sliced
15-20 local limes, halved & seeded

Sauce:
2 tbsp cooking oil
12 cloves garlic, pounded
3 tbsp ground red chillies
3 tbsp salted soya beans, rinsed, drained & pounded
3 tsp sugar
½ cup (120ml) thick tamarind juice
900ml coconut milk
salt to taste


Method:

1. In a pan, combine prawn shells and the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer to obtain 1 cup (200ml) of thick stock. Strain and add salt to taste. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil and fry garlic till crisp. Add prawns, bean curd and salted soya beans. Fry for 2 minutes. Reduce heat. Add stock and soya sauce. Simmer covered for 4 minutes.
3. Add meehoon. Fry for 5 minutes. Mix in bean sprouts and spring onions. Cook till all the ingredients are done. Add salt to taste.
4. Dish up and garnish with chillies, shallots and eggs. Serve hot with limes and the sauce.
5. To prepare sauce: Heat oil and fry the first three ingredients well. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Cook till the oil separates. Add salt to taste. Dish up.