Today is Sunday and making something special... I am making one of my Grandma’s (Ah Mah) special for lunch. Like Penang Asam Laksa, Jawa Mee is another Penang dish with a mishmash of ingredients, which could only mean that its creation was stirred up in the cross-cultural Peranakan kitchen – most likely by Javanese Peranakans (mix of Chinese and Javanese) when many moved from Medan and Malacca to settle on the island two centuries ago. While the Javanese Peranakan culture in Penang has faded into history, their famous contribution to its cuisine never will. Not on this street food obsessed island. As Malaysian we love our “sambal”, condiment that has a chili-based sauce. This “sambal” goes very well with “Nasi Lemak” (coconut rice), even plain rice & Mee Jawa. It also can be used as paste in cooking dishes especially seafood. Main ingredients in making sambal include chilies (dried and fresh), shallots and belacan (shrimp paste). For sweetness we add Gula Melaka (Palm sugar). Of course not forget tamarind paste (asam jawa) which is added to balance up the heat of chilies. Every household has their own recipe of sambal. I love my grandma (Ah Mah) version with lemon grass added. Quite lots of oil needed in cooking sambal. Therefore fry ikan bilis (anchovies) first then using the same oil to cook the sambal. This is my “Ah Mah” nonya version of Jawa Mee and her version of Sambal with Gula Melaka. Enjoy ;-) Terry’s Ah Ma Mee Jawa or Jawa Mee (Spicy Javanese Yellow Noodles) & Sweet Sambal with Gula Melaka (palm sugar). Serves 8 Ingredients: o 1kg yellow noodles - blanched, and drained Ingredients for Gravy/Soup: o 7 potatoes - boiled and peeled o 1 sweet potato, boiled and peeled o 1 1/2 cup tomato paste o 400g pork ribs o 2 litre of water o 1 tsp salt o 2 tbsp brown sugar Ingredients for Mee Jawa Gravy Sambal Spice paste (to be pounded) o 1/2 cup freshly ground chili paste (or 6 fresh red chilies - chopped) o 4 cloves garlic - chopped finely o 1 stalks lemon grass - cut very finely. o 4 shallots - chopped finely Ingredients for Sweet Sambal with Gula Melaka: (A) o 15 pieces dried chilies o 2 fresh chilies o 1 large onion o 15 pieces shallots o 1 lemon grass (only white part) o small knob of belacan (shrimp paste) (B) o 1 cup ikan bilis, washed (anchovy) *dry fry o ½ cup vegetable oil ( C) o 50g gula Melaka (palm sugar) o 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (asam jawa)* *Dissolve in 50ml hot water and leave for few minutes. Strain tamarind juice and set aside. salt to taste Ingredients for Mee Jawa Garnish: o 1 cup bean sprouts - tailed and blanched o 1 potato - boiled, peeled, and sliced o 4 hardboiled eggs - halved 20 small prawns or 10 medium-size prawns o 2 tbsp shredded cuttlefish (optional) o 1 tomato - sliced thinly o 2 pieces of firm bean curd - pan-fried and sliced o Chinese green lettuce – shredded o Spring onions - chopped o ground roasted peanuts o fried thinly sliced shallots (small onions) until golden brown. o Calamansi lime/ lemon wedges o Additional garnish: Thin crispy fried fritters Method How To Make Mee Jawa/Jawa Mee: 1. Pound or blend the sambal spice ingredients into a paste. 2. Heat 1/4 cup cooking oil, and stir-fry (tumis) sambal spice paste until fragrant. Set aside. 3. Using the same wok, add garlic and stir-fry for a minute. Add cuttlefish, stir-fry for another minute. Then add prawns and 1/2 tbsp of spice paste and stir fry for 5-8 minutes until prawns are cooked. Set aside for use as garnish. 4. In a big soup pot, add water and pork ribs. Bring the soup to a steady boil and cook for at least half an hour (semi-covered). You want to cook out the sweet essence of the pork ribs. Removing any scum on the surface of the stock, repeat several times all scum is removed. 5. Meanwhile, blend the boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes into a puree. Add some water if needed. 6. Add the potatoes puree and tomato paste, into the soup. Mix well. Season with salt and sugar. Taste and make adjustments at this point. Let the soup (gravy) simmer for 15 minutes. How to Make Sambal with Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar) 1. Blend dried chilies, fresh red chilies, onions, shallots, lemon grass and belacan (with little water) till fine paste. 2. Place the ikan bilis into cold wok. Turn on the heat and heat up the wok. By doing this moisture from ikan bilis will evaporate as you heat up the wok. Add in ½ cup of cooking oil. Pan fry ikan bilis (anchovies) by stirring frequently till golden brown. Remove fried ikan bilis and keep aside for later serve with sweet sambal. 3. Add in blended chili paste into remaining oil, sauté till aroma and oil separated. 4. Add in gula Melaka, strained tamarind juice and salt (if needed). Continue to sauté over low flame till thick, add in water when needed. 5. Serve with fried ikan bilis, cucumber slices and other as per your preference. How To serve the Mee Jawa noodle dish: 1 Place one serving size of the blanched noodles in a bowl. Garnish with bean sprouts, sliced potato, egg, prawns, tomato, bean curd, lettuce, and spring onion. Pour the gravy over the prepared dish. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, fried shallots & fried fritters . Add a slice of calamansi lime/lemon on the side to be squeezed over the dish. Serve immediately. Notes: 1. For any leftover gravy, I usually keep it in the refrigerator and heat it up the next day. It becomes an excellent potato-tomato soup that is lovely with a side of bread.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 05:02:41 +0000
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