​Mee Siam - an all-time favourite


 

 
This recipe is taken from 'Where Is The Fat?' cookbook, a compilation of healthier dishes created by the Singapore General Hospital's Dietetics & Nutrition Services. The cookbook is available at $26.40 from the SGH Block 4 Pharmacy.​​

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)​
​
For the gravy
  • 25 gm onion
  • 1/3 thumbsize piece of ginger
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 50 ml water
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 5 gm chilli paste
  • ½ tbsp taucheo, mashed
  • 1 tbsp peanuts, roasted and ground
  • ½ tbsp dried prawns, ground finely
  • 1 stalk lemon grass, bruised
  • 15 gm tamarind pulp (mix with 1.5 litres of water and strain for juice)
  • 1½ tbsp sugar
  • ¾ tsp salt
• Taucheo is fermented salted soy beans.

For the bee hoon 
  • 3½ tsp oil
  • 25 gm onion, sliced
  • 15 gm chilli paste
  • 40 gm beansprouts
  • 200 gm bee hoon, soaked in water
  • 100 ml water
For the garnish 
  • 2 hardboiled eggs, sliced into wedges small limes, halved
  • cooked prawns, shelled (optional)
  • 2 gm kucai (cut into 2 cm strips) 
• Kucai is also known as Chinese chives (Allium odorum).

Method:

Gravy 
  1. Blend onion, ginger and garlic with 50 ml water.
  2. In a large pot, heat oil and add the blended onion mixture. Fry until golden brown.
  3. Add chilli paste and fry over moderate heat till fragrant and oil comes through. Add taucheo paste, peanuts and dried prawns.
  4. Add lemon grass and fry for a few minutes.
  5. Finally, add tamarind juice, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
Bee Hoon 
  1. Heat oil and fry sliced onion until light brown.
  2. Add chilli paste and fry well.
  3. Add beansprouts and mix well. Finally, add bee hoon and water.
  4. Fry until dry.
  5. Serve bee hoon with gravy, egg and limes. Cooked prawns may be added if preferred.
    ​

Estimated nutrient content​ ​(per serving):

  • Energy 371 kcal
  • Carbohydrate 48 gm
  • Protein 11 gm
  • Fat 15 gm
  • Sodium 615 mg
  • Cholesterol 106 mg

Health Tip ​

The sodium in this dish comes not only from the salt but also from the tamarind, dried prawns and taucheo. Tamarind contributes approximately 16 percent of the sodium content of this dish. When a recipe calls for tamarind, reduce the salt in the recipe to cut down on the sodium intake. You can also reduce the salt in this dish by substituting tamarind juice with lemon juice and still retain the tangy flavour.
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