Mee Siam is often remembers by many as one of our nation dish. Ingredients dominating this recipe is the tamarind sauce, dried shrimps and tau cheo( yellow fermented beans ). The Chinese and the Malays has their own versions. The recipe I tried is the intense one.

Ingredients ( Serves 4 )

• 1 tbsp chilli paste
• 1 tbsp ground bean paste(tau cheo)
• 250ml water
• 500 gm bean sprouts
• 1 pack Rice vermicelli(soak in water until soft)

Condiments

• Beancurd puffs
• Chinese chives
• Hard boiled egg
• Deep fried sliced shallots(optional)
• Lime

Stock

• 2.5 litres Asam water( one pack tamarind paste mix with 2 litres water)
• 150 gm dried shrimps (chopped)
• 350gm shallots (chopped)
• 4 tbsp ground bean paste(tau cheo)
• 6 tbsp chilli paste
• 4 tbsp sugar

Method

1. Heat 10 tbsp of oil. Stir fry chopped shallots, dried shrimps, chilli paste and ground bean paste. Add tamarind water and sugar. Turn off the heat after it boils.
2. Fry chill paste and ground bean paste with 4 tbsp of oil. Add water and stir well. Put in bean sprouts and rice vermicelli. Stir well.
3. Put some fried rice vermicelli on a plate. Top with beancurd puffs, egg, Chinese chives and deep fried shallots(optional). Pour in stock from step (1). Serve with lime juice. Voila!