Choon Prawn Mee (Ipoh)

 

Serving: 7-8 pax

Ingredients: 1kg flower prawn ~ shelled & aside
500g rice noodle
500g yellow noodle
200g bean sprout
200g spinach
3 fish cake ~ sliced
6 hard-boiled egg ~ halves
Fried shallots

Chili Paste
250g chili boh
200ml cooking oil
10g belacan
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Broth

Blended prawn shelled 4-liter water 100g rock sugar 2 tsp salt (adjust to your own preference) 1/4 tsp MSG (optional)

Directions/Instructions:

1. To prepare the chili paste, add half portion of cooking oil and belacan. Stir-fry the belacan with slow heat until it is completely dissolved.
2. Then add the chili boh and the remaining portion of cooking oil, and continue to stir-fry for around 20-30 mins until the oil turns dark red/maroon.
3. Turn off the heat, let the chili paste rest for a minute, scoop the chili oil into a container and set it aside. Then add sugar and salt into chili paste, and stir evenly until it is completely dissolved. Store the cooked chili paste in a container and set it aside.
4. Next, prepare the prawn broth. Clean the flower prawns thoroughly. In the same wok, add 2 tbsp chili oil and stir-fry the prawn till the prawn is cooked. Set them aside.
5. With the same wok, add 2-3 tbsp chili oil and stir fry the prawn shell on medium heat. Fry for about 10-15 mins or until the shell turn pink.
6. Off the heat, let the cooked prawn shells cool. Mash the prawn shells with a blender with 1/2 cup of water.
7. Add mashed prawn shells into a pot filled with water. Use a ladle to mix the mashed prawn shells and water evenly. Filter out the mashed prawn shells.
8. Add rock sugar, salt, and MSG into the pot, mix it and cook with low heat until the rock sugar dissolved completely.
9. Add in about 2-3 tbsp chili paste and 3-4 tbsp chili oil. Mix evenly until the broth is boiling. Turn off the gas and set the broth aside.
10. To assemble, blanch noodles, bean sprouts, and spinach set them into a bowl. Top with boiled egg, cooked prawn, sliced fishcake. Ladle the prawn broth on the noodle and sprinkled it with fried shallots. Enjoy!

Tips:
1. The balance of chili paste or oil can also be used to cook other dishes like fried noodles or rice.
2. The ingredients can be adjusted according to your own preference.