How to make easy Mee Bandung, a Malay noodle dish of eggs and prawns poached in a savoury sweet tomato ketchup-based gravy.
Mee Bandung is a Malaysian/Singapore Malay noodle dish of prawns and eggs poached in a savoury sweet tomato ketchup-based gravy.
Despite its name, Mee Bandung (or it’s full name, Mee Bandung Muar) does not actually originate from the Indonesian city of Bandung. Instead, it came from Johor, Malaysia. Bandung here means “mixture” in Malay. Therefore Mee Bandung is simply mixed noodles, referring to the combination of different ingredients in one bowl of sauce.
Key Ingredient for Mee Bandung: Tomato Ketchup
The most important ingredient is Tomato Ketchup! Yes, good ol’ tomato ketchup that you dip your fries in. A lot of it is used, which is why the gravy is a sweet, savoury and tangy sauce. In Singapore and Malaysia, tomato ketchup can also be known as tomato ketchup. In this recipe, I used 1/4 cup, but you may need to adjust according to your preference and brand of tomato ketchup. Give it a taste test at the end, and add more if needed.
The tomato ketchup is not replaceable with Italian tomato sauce or tomato puree, as it will be a completely different flavour.
Since tomato ketchup is a main ingredient, the gravy should be slightly thick. I would say it’s thin sauce. You shouldn’t need cornstarch slurry or any other thickening agent.
Other Ingredients for Mee Bandung
Besides, tomato ketchup, these are the other ingredients to make up the base paste.
Dried Shrimps: Dried Shrimps add that special umami to the dish. To prepare dried shrimps, soak it in warm water first so that it softens. Then blitz the dried shrimps, or use a pestle and mortar to mash it. This is a key ingredient in Mee Bandung, but my Mom does not add any to her Mee Bandung. In fact, most Mee Bandungs that I’ve had in Singapore rarely add dried shrimps.
Dried Chilli Paste: This is a quintessential ingredient in Malay cooking. You can buy these ready-made (also known as cili kisar or cili boh), but I recommend making your own easy batch. With the ready-made stuff, there is added salt so do not add as much for seasoning. Dried chilli paste adds some spice, and a richness to the dish. Omit if you do not want any spice, or don’t have this on hand.
Onions and Garlic: These are your standard alliums.
If you are making dried chilli paste from scratch for this recipe, then blend together the dried chillies, dried shrimps, onions and garlic to create a dried chilli paste for Mee Bandung!
What Proteins for Mee Bandung
The main ingredients in typical Mee Bandung would be eggs and prawns. However, you can add any other protein of choice and make it to your preference.
Must-Have Protein: Eggs
I think there is really one key protein for Mee Bandung: eggs! You can make a simple, yet complete Mee Bandung with nothing else but eggs. Eggs and tomato ketchup is a foolproof combo.
The eggs are added at the last step, and poached in the gravy to your desired done-ness. I prefer a runny yolk, so I turn the heat off the moment my eggs develop a film. It will still continue to cook in the gravy even with the heat turned off. Some eggs might scramble into the gravy – and this is perfectly ok! In fact, sometimes I would purposely swivel through some egg whites to create egg threads throughout the sauce. I think it looks attractive.
Level it Up Protein: Prawns
Prawns or shrimps are the other protein for Mee Bandung. I would usually just peel and devein my prawns. In this recipe video, I kept the prawn heads and shells on, because it just looks better in video and in pictures.
Prawns cook very quickly. If you are making more than the amount I have here, then either add it into the gravy after it boils, or precook the prawns so it does not overcook.
Optional Proteins: Beef to Level it Up Even More
I added beef slices here, but this is optional. As mentioned, the only proteins you need for Mee Bandung are eggs and prawns. Other proteins include chicken slices and sliced fishcakes!
How to Serve Mee Bandung?
There are two typical ways of serving Mee Bandung.
- The noodles are added into the gravy at the end and cooked together.
OR
- My preferred method. Serve the noodles and sauce separately! Plate the noodles first, and then pour over the sauce. This way, I don’t risk breaking any yolks in the sauce! I also get control every plate, so everyone gets equal amounts of prawns, vegetables and noodles… and everyone gets an egg!
More Recipes Like This
If you love this Malay noodle recipe, you might love these too:
- Mee Rebus | noodles in a sweet potato gravy
- Mee Siam | rice vermicelli in a spicy, sweet, sour sauce
- Me Soto | chicken noodle soup
Easy Mee Bandung
Course: Recipes2-3
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
2-3 Servings or 400g Yellow Hokkien Noodles, blanched
- Mee Bandung Sauce:
2-3 tbsps Cooking Oil
1 tbsp Dried Chilli Paste
1 tbsp Dried Shrimps, blended or mashed
1 Onion, chopped
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup or 4-5 tbsps Tomato Ketchup
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
600ml Water
200g Prawn
100g Beef, sliced (optional)
2 tsps Salt, or to taste
2 tsps Sugar, or to taste
A handful of Bok Choy (or Mustard Greens / Chye Sim)
4 Eggs
- Garnish
Fried Shallots
Cilantro
Sliced Red Chillies
Directions
- Prepping the Dried Shrimps
- Rinse dried shrimps and soak it in warm water for 5 minutes, or until it softens. Drain the water away, and add to food processor or use a pestle and mortar. Blitz shrimps.
- Making the Sauce
- Add oil to a pan, and once hot, add dried chilli paste, chopped onions, garlic and the shrimps. Stir to combine and continuously stir until fragrant, and paste has slightly dried down. See: How to properly cook dried chilli paste.
- Once fragrant, add tomato ketchup next and oyster sauce. Stir to combine.
Add beef slices or other proteins, if using. Give a quick stir to partially cook the beef. - Add in prawns next, and stir to coat before seasoning with salt and sugar.
- Pour in water, and stir to incorporate. Allow this sauce to come to a boil.
- Once boiling, immediately add vegetables. Gently add eggs in as well at random spots.
- Allow eggs to poach to desired done-ness. Option to cover pan with a lid for quicker poaching. For runny eggs, turn off the heat once the eggs develop a film over the yolks. Make sure prawns and beef are cooked through before turning off the heat. The eggs will continue to cook in the residual heat.
- Assembly
- Blanch fresh noodles in boiling water for a couple of minutes, or according to packet instructions.
- Plate noodles, and pour over sauce.
- Garnish with fried shallots, cilantro, fresh chillies and lime wedges. Serve!
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