Mamak-style fried noodles with prawn fritters (Mee goreng mamak)

Unlike regular fried noodles, this delicious dish is packed with sweet and spicy flavours along with a hint of nuttiness from the special mee goreng Mamak paste.

Mee goreng mamak (Mamak-style fried noodles) Credit: Georgia Gold

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• 100 ml vegetable oil
• 250 g firm tofu, sliced in half horizontally
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 red shallots, finely sliced
• 2 Prawn fritters, cut into bite-sized pieces (recipe below)
• 2 small potatoes, peeled, boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 small tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 300 g yellow noodles (Singapore, chow mein or Hokkien noodles), blanched according to the packet instructions
• 4 small eggs
• 90 g (1 cup) bean sprouts

Sambal belacan (Malaysian chili paste)

Makes about 150 ml (5 fl oz)

• 5 long red chillies
• 5 bird's eye chillies
• 1 tbsp toasted belacan (shrimp paste; see note)
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• juice of 1/2 lime

Cucur udang (Prawn fritters)

Makes 12

• 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp instant dry yeast
• 1 tbsp air kapur (limestone water) (see Note; optional)
• 115 g kucai (Chinese chives), trimmed and snipped into 1.5 cm lengths
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 12 large banana prawns, peeled and deveined, tails removed

Mee goreng Mamak paste

• 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp yellow lentils
• 80 g (1 cup) dried shrimp, soaked in water for 10 minutes, drained
• 2½ tbsp Malaysian chilli paste (recipe below)
• 3–4 tbsp sugar
• 125 g ground dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• salt

Garnishes

• 1 cos lettuce, shredded
• 2 long red chillies, sliced
• crispy fried shallots
• 2 limes, quartered

Resting time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the Malaysian chilli paste, using a mortar and pestle, pound all the chillies to make a coarse paste (see note if using a blender). Add the belacan, sugar and salt and pound for another minute. Add the lime juice and mix well. This will store in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
2. To make the prawn fritters, combine the flour, turmeric, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the yeast, add 435 ml (1¾ cups) water and mix well. Stir in the air kapur, if using, kucai and sliced onion. Allow the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes to yield a crispier fritter.
3. Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok over medium–high heat until hot and a little smoky.
4. When the oil is ready, dip a stainless-steel spoon into the hot oil and leave for 15–20 seconds, then lift it out and pour about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the spoon. Place one prawn on the batter, then gently lower the spoon into the hot oil. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the batter has firmed up and started to separate from the spoon, then push the fritter off the spoon into the oil to finish cooking over medium heat until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Once the fritter is in the oil, start on the next one. Remove the cooked fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining batter and prawns. Serve warm with your choice of dipping sauce.
5. To make the mee goreng mamak paste, heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the yellow lentils for about 1 minute. Add the dried shrimp and stir until golden brown. Scoop out the lentil and dried shrimp mix using a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the frying oil.
6. Place the fried lentil mixture, chilli paste and 3–4 tablespoons of the frying oil in a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
7. Heat the remaining frying oil in the wok over medium heat and stir-fry the paste for 3–4 minutes until aromatic and the oil has separated. Stir in the sugar, then add the ground peanuts, tamarind paste and 500 ml (2 cups) water and mix together well. Season to taste with salt, then simmer for 8–10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened, and the oil has separated. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
8. To make the mamak-style fried noodles, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pat the tofu dry and add to the pan, then cook for 3–4 minutes until golden on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towel, then cut each piece into bite-sized chunks.
9. Heat the remaining oil in a wok or a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until golden and fragrant. Add the tofu, prawn fritter pieces, potato and tomato and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until combined.
10. Add 3–4 tablespoons of the mee goreng Mamak paste and stir constantly for another 30 seconds. Add the blanched noodles and toss through. Make a well in the middle of the noodle mixture and crack in the eggs. Let them cook for 30 seconds or so, then break up the eggs using a spatula. Stir again for another 30 seconds to mix everything together. Finally, toss through the bean sprouts.
11. Divide the fried noodles among plates and garnish with the lettuce, chilli, crispy fried shallots and lime quarters. Serve immediately.

Notes

• If you are using a small chopper or blender to make the Malaysian chilli paste, add all the ingredients except the lime juice and blend to a smooth paste. Then stir in the lime juice.

• Belacan – also known as fermented shrimp paste – is a staple in Peranakan and Malay cuisine. Belacan is made from krill (tiny shrimp-like crustaceans) that have been salted, dried and fermented, which yield its deep salty-umami taste. Raw belacan should be toasted in a dry frying pan before using for best results.

• To make the limestone water for the Prawn fritters, blend 1 teaspoon limestone paste with 1 tablespoon water. Limestone paste can be easily purchased online or from Asian grocery stores specialising in Southeast Asian ingredients. It is added to the batter to make the fritters super light and crisp, but you can omit it if you are unable to source it.

Penang Local by Aim Aris and Ahmad Salim, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Georgia Gold. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.