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 itās full name, Mee Bandung Muar) does not actually originate from the Indonesian city of Bandung. Instead, it came from Johor, Malaysia. Bandung here means āmixtureā 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 olā 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 itās thin sauce. You shouldnāt 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 Iāve 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 donāt 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 donāt 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
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