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5.0 from 3 votes

Mee Rebus

Mee rebus is a hot and sour Malaysian egg noodle soup that’s thickened with sweet potatoes, and topped with a variety of garnishes, including egg, beansprouts, tofu, and lime.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indonesian , Malaysian

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh egg noodles
  • 3½ oz fresh beansprouts
For the mee rebus paste (rempah)
  • ½ tablespoon coriander seeds , toasted
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds , toasted
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds , toasted
  • 6 dried red hot peppers , soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then drained
  • 2 tablespoons dried shrimp , soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, then drained
  • 6 shallots , quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
  • 1 (½ inch / 1 cm) piece fresh ginger root
  • 1 (½ inch / 1 cm) piece fresh galangal
  • 1 (½ inch / 1 cm) piece fresh turmeric root
  • 3 talks lemongrass , white part only (outer skin removed and the rest roughly chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons dried anchovies
  • 2 tablespoons tauco (fermented soya bean paste), or 1 tablespoon white miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons water or more (enough to loosen the paste)
For the mee rebus gravy
  • 9 oz. sweet potato , peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 cups fish stock
  • 14 oz. fresh prawns (cleaned)
  • 3 teaspoons palm sugar (to taste)
  • salt (to taste)
Garnish
  • 5 oz. extra firm tofu , cubed
  • 4 tablespoons crispy fried shallots
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs , quartered
  • 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
  • 2 limes , quartered
  • 2 large green hot peppers , sliced into rings
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Steam the sweet potato until soft, then mash until smooth.
  2. Fry the tofu cubes until crispy on the outside. Set aside.
  3. Toast the coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds in a skillet over a low heat until they start to release their fragrance.
  4. Add to a blender, along with the rest of the rempah ingredients, and blend until smooth. Add more water if needed, to loosen.
  5. Fry the paste in hot oil in a wok over a medium heat for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the oil starts to separate from the paste, and the rempah turns slightly darker.
  6. Add the stock, mix well, and bring to a gentle boil.
  7. Stir in the mashed sweet potato, until it's thoroughly mixed in, and you have a thick gravy.
  8. Reduce the heat to low, and add the prawns. Cook for 3-4 minutes, depending on size.
  9. Taste, and season with the palm sugar. You should have a hot, sour, salty, sweet flavor cycle. Season with a little salt if necessary.
  10. Blanch the noodles, then the beansprouts.
Assembly
  1. Place the noodles into four bowls, then pour over the gravy.
  2. Top with cubes of fried tofu, crispy shallots, hard-boiled egg, spring onion, lime wedges, green hot peppers, beansprouts, and chopped cilantro.
  3. Serve hot.

Notes

  • It is traditional to use calamansi limes but regular limes can be used too.