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Mee sotong
Mee sotong: yellow noodles fried in a sweet, smoky chilli paste with tender squid
Mee sotong is the dish people queue for at the Esplanade hawker stalls by Padang Kota in George Town, eaten in the evening breeze off the sea. Thick yellow noodles are fried in a deep red paste of dried chillies, shallots and garlic cooked down with tomato ketchup, sugar and tamarind until sweet, smoky and spicy, then tossed with tender squid in its own red sauce and a few bean sprouts. Chef's tip: fry the chilli paste patiently until the oil separates and it darkens; raw paste tastes harsh and flat.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chilli paste
- 15 dried red chilliessoaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- 4 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup water
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the noodles
- 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- ½ tsp salt
- 14 oz squidcleaned and cut into rings
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh yellow egg noodlesrinsed
- 3 ½ oz bean sprouts
- 2 calamansi or lime (optional)halved
- 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 15 dried red chillies, snip off the stems and blend with 4 shallots, 3 cloves garlic and 3 tbsp water to a smooth paste.
5 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry the paste for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens to brick red and the oil separates from it. Common mistake: rushing this step.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 3 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp tamarind paste, ½ tsp salt and the remaining water and simmer for 2 minutes.
2 minStep 4: Add 14 oz squid and cook for 1–2 minutes, until just opaque and curled. Use squid that smells fresh and clean; discard any with an ammonia smell. Lift out half the squid and sauce and keep warm.
2 minStep 5: Add 1 ⅛ lb fresh yellow egg noodles to the wok and toss over a high heat for 3 minutes, until hot and evenly coated. Add 3 ½ oz bean sprouts for the last 30 seconds.
3 minStep 6: Pile onto plates, spoon the reserved squid and sauce on top and finish with 2 calamansi or lime and 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mee sotong take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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