Curry Mee

Prepare the aromatics: peel and roughly chop 10 Shallots, 6 cloves of Garlic and a thumb-sized piece of Ginger; remove the outer leaves and thinly slice 2 stalks of Lemongrass.

Make the spice paste: in a blender or mortar, combine the chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, 2 tablespoons of Malaysian curry powder, 1–2 tablespoons of Chili paste (sambal oelek) and 1 teaspoon of mashed Belacan (shrimp paste) — blend with a splash of water until a coarse paste forms.

Heat 3 tablespoons of Neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat, then fry the spice paste for 6–8 minutes until fragrant and the oil turns reddish and aromatic.

Add 1.2–1.5 liters of Chicken stock to the pot, stir to deglaze, then pour in 400 ml of Coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and season with 1½ teaspoons of Fine salt and 1 teaspoon of Sugar; reduce heat and let the broth simmer gently while you prepare the other components (15–20 minutes) to let the flavors meld.

Soak 1 handful of Rice vermicelli (bee hoon) in warm water for 5–7 minutes until pliable, then briefly blanch; separately, boil 1 portion of Yellow egg noodles (mee) for 1 minute until just tender, drain and set both aside.

Prepare the proteins and toppings: halve or cube some Tofu puffs, thinly slice the Fish cake, peel and devein the Prawns, and rinse the Shucked blood cockles (kerang). Quickly blanch the tofu puffs and fish cake in the simmering broth for 1–2 minutes to warm through.

Season the broth finishing touches: taste and adjust with more Fine salt, a splash of Light soy sauce if you like deeper umami, and a little more Sugar or Chili paste (sambal oelek) for heat. If the broth is too rich, add a bit of water or stock.

Add the seafood: drop the Prawns into the simmering broth and cook 2–3 minutes until pink and opaque, then add the Shucked blood cockles (kerang) for the last minute just until they open and are heated through.

Blanch the Bean sprouts briefly in boiling water for 10–15 seconds, then drain and shock in cold water to keep them crisp.

Soft-boil or poach the Eggs to your liking (soft-boiled for 6–7 minutes, then cool and peel); halve before serving.

Assemble bowls: place a portion of the Yellow egg noodles (mee) and Rice vermicelli (bee hoon) in each bowl, add a handful of Bean sprouts and a few pieces of warmed Tofu puffs and Fish cake.

Ladle the hot curry broth over the noodles and toppings, then arrange the cooked Prawns and Shucked blood cockles (kerang) on top.

Garnish each bowl with halved Eggs, a handful of Mint leaves (daun pudina), a squeeze of Limes, a generous sprinkle of Fried shallots and a dollop of Sambal chili to taste. Serve extra Light soy sauce at the table if desired.