Noodles and Rice

Most Fun with a Noodle: Mee Krob

by Stef on April 3rd, 2007

I’m trying to figure out how to post a video on here. Yesterday we had Mee Krob and that was so much fun I just gotta share it with you. My kids were clamoring to “do it again, Mom”.

In the ’70’s, my parent’s go-to place for “fast food” (it wasn’t exactly fast, as they usually had to wait a half-hour or so) was a place in Paranaque (a suburb of Metro Manila, Philippines) called “This Side of Earth”. Their #1 specialty was crispy pata. Number two was this noodle dish that came in two parts: the first was loosely wrapped in newspaper — a bundle of puffed-up rice sticks, crispy and white. You expected them to crumble in their fragility, but you couldn’t wait to pour the sauce on top of them and watch them collapse. The sauce came in the second package, hot and fragrant, bundled in banana leaves, or on some days, unceremoniously stuffed into an emptied can. The base, made of rich chicken stock, was oniony, striped in places with the orange of julienned carrots, flecked with thin, green slices of scallions, and thickened and enriched with beaten egg stirred in at the last moment.

We were blissfully unaware of Ronald McDonald then, and the occasional busy day meant take-out dinner, brought hot to the table the minute Papa got home and tossed together in a large serving platter. Listed as “chow mien” on the menu, but obviously very different from its parent dish, this wonder of crunchy goodness softened at contact with the sauce and settled quite happily on our forks and our tummies as we relaxed around the table and thanked the Lord for the blessings of convenience food.

I have tried to replicate the dish many times, some attempts more successful than others, but not being able to use the egg (allergies) is a loss because it affects the character of the dish immensely. On days when I miss my childhood “chow mien”, it’s mee krob or some other similar concoction that takes its place. It’s quite easy to make, but you do need to prepare yourself mentally for the mess that’s bound to take hold of your kitchen. The noodles themselves are light, which means they are not meant to fill you up the way steak and potatoes or a plate of pasta would. But oh, it will make you smile in anticipation the way no aglio e olio could.

To make enough for 4 hungry adults, or a family of 6, you need

1 lb. rice sticks, broken up — I used the really thin kind, but you can also use the slightly thicker kind
cooking oil for deep-frying noodles

2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic, or 1 tablespoon sliced pickled garlic (I was out of the pickled and had to settle for regular)
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, reconstituted in 1/4 cup hot water, drained then chopped into bits, the soaking water reserved
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 lb. tofu, cut into small dice, deep-fried until golden and drained on paper towels (you can use the oil the noodles were cooked in; alternatively deep-fry the tofu first, then the noodles)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
the juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fish sauce, or to taste
3 tablespoons palm sugar, or to taste

1 hot red chili, cut into thin slivers
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts, rinsed and drained well
1/4 cup chopped coriander
1/4 cup julienned scallions
lime wedges

Egg lace (this is traditional, and can be made by pouring beaten egg quickly into hot oil, making criss-crosses the whole while to create a lacy effect — I had to omit it because of allergies)

Heat oil for deep-frying noodles in a large wok or skillet, or deep-fat-fryer. When at the smoking point, test with a few rice sticks — they should puff up immediately. Deep-fry the rice sticks in batches, and drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a low oven while you make the sauce. (Alternatively, you can make the sauce first, keep it over low heat on the stove while you fry up the noodles.)

Heat the 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat in a wok or skillet. Add garlic, stir-fry a few seconds, then add the dried shrimp, stir-fry a few seconds more. Add the tofu cubes and the shrimp. Stir-fry a few minutes or until shrimp starts to turn color. Add tomatoes, reserved water from the dried shrimp, tamarind concentrate, lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot over the rice sticks. Top with the red chile, bean sprouts, coriander, and egg lace if using. Garnish with lime wedges.

Sorry, can’t upload to YouTube (I’ve never done it before — may have to learn this one first…) — so no video:(.

Related Stories

Using Your Noodle
Japanese Noodles 101
Harusame noodles
Pad Thai
Asian Food News and Events

POSTED IN: Noodles : Asian, Seafood Dishes : Asian, Thai, Tofu