EZ Home Style Birthday Noodles [Lam Mee]

 

This portion serves 3-4

 

I have heard not many people like this noodle basically the soup looks plain, without the sambal it is quite flat in taste; not filling for the tummy etc.  Personally, I like this noodle which is a perfect One Dish Meal [because of the combination of ingredients]. 

The taste depends on the cook and the eater.  You can prepare delicious good food and yet there are people who do not know how to enjoy the food [most times it is ones taste/preference and attitude problem].  Have you heard of people who are lazy to eat, do not what to eat and some who says 'why so troublesome to prepare the food?'   Of course, there are the people who eat to live and people who live to eat.

For most Hokkien people [older generations] celebrating their birthdays, this noodle is a must.   I remembered during my younger days, when the older generations celebrate their 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays, they will prepare this birthday noodle for prayers and distribution to close friends and relatives together with a big red 'tortoise' bun.  In return, the receivers will either give a red packet 'Angpow' and a box of flour vermicelli 'Mee Suah' signifying long life.

Nowadays, I hardly see this practice anymore, probably because people think it is too troublesome.  Just ask the restaurant to prepare this dish if they are holding a birthday dinner for friends and relatives [some restaurants do not serve this type, they serve the Cantonese 'Sang Meen'].  That's it, practices/things changed and the bond changes too.

Popularly known as Lam Mee in Penang [aka Seh Jit Mee] it is sold at the hawker's stalls but they are different from the ones prepared at home.   I love this noodle, so I am cooking it to enjoy even though it is not my birthday today.  Looking at the ingredients, it does seem troublesome but when you do it, it is not.  Best of all, most of the ingredients are boiled  and can be prepared long before meal time.

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

500 - 600 gm yellow noodles

300 gm beansprouts - tailed, washed and drain

50 gm chives [kucai] - washed and cut 4 cm length

1 red chilli - seeded and cut fine strips -garnishing

some coriander leaves - garnishing

sambal belacan - store bought or prepare your own *

fried crispy shallots- store bought or prepare your own*

some dried sole [pnee hoo] - toasted  or fried and pounded - optional*

200 gm pork belly or lean meat  [or any part of meat with a little fat] - keep whole

200 gm medium sized prawns with shells - washed 

1 egg - beaten with a pinch of salt [optional - a little pink coloring - birthday purpose] 

some cooked crab meat- optional

1 litre water

1 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken stock granules
1/4 tsp  pepper to taste

2 tbsp cornflour combine with 3 tbsp water for thickening

1. For the soup - bring water to boil in a pot.  Put in prawns, cook till prawns change colour.  Remove and set aside to cool.   Remove shells then slice prawns lengthwise into 2-3 pieces.
2. Put in meat to boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until almost tender but has a bite.  Remove and set aside to cool and cut strips.
3. Add seasoning to soup.  Bring it to a boil and thicken with cornflour mix.  Keep stock boiling over a gentle low heat in a simmer.
4. Fry beaten egg in a non stick pan into a thin omelette and cut thin strips.

To Serve Birthday Noodles [Lam Mee]

[either serve the whole portion in a big deep plate to share or in individual plate]

1.  Boil a pot of water enough to blanch yellow noodles, beansprouts and chives [together or individually depending on the amount required].  Drain dry and lay on serving plate.   Top all over with prepared prawns and meat. 
2. Pour enough boiling soup stock over.  Add omelette and crab meat.  Sprinkle fried shallots and dried sole [dried sole can be added to soup even before serving].  Garnish with coriander leaves and red chilli.
3. Serve with sambal belacan sauce.

 

Note [these can prepare earlier and store]

* Sambal belacan - Pound or blend together 4 fresh red chillies and 1-2 cm square toasted belacan, then add juice of 1 lime [calamasi lime]

* 5-6 shallots - finely sliced and fry in oil till golden.  Strain and leave to cool before storing in airtight container

* 1 piece dried sole [pnee hoo] - wash and break into pieces.  Fry in oil until crispy and golden.  Cool and pound till fine.

* I cooked the soup stock in a claypot and served the noodles in the claypot itself.  Less washing to do  and claypot retains heat longer.