Penang White Curry Mee – Your Ultimate Taste Sensation

Penang White Curry Mee

Penang White Curry Mee comes, unsurprisingly from the region of Penang. Long hailed as a foodie paradise Penang is the birthplace of so many delicious dishes and hawker favourites.

This dish is one of these hawker stall must-haves. A bubbling broth, that has been simmering for hours with the shells and heads of prawn (don’t judge – it’s delicious) and then with fresh coconut mild added just before serving it’s ladled over noodles, beansprouts and prawn tails.

Finally at the very last moment a large dollop of freshly ground spice paste is added to the hot coconut milk, fish stock. The het of the broth makes the oils leech out of the spice paste and into the bowl and it is YUMMY!

What Makes Penang White Curry So Good?

2 Important components

  1. Sweet and tangy coconut prawn broth
  1. Homemade aromatics and spice paste.

Made from every day simple ingredients.

Coconut water, Coconut milk, Noodles, Beansprouts, Prawn shells and heads, chili, belachan, dried shrimps, garlic lemongrass and shallots. Simple and delicious.

The Penang White Curry Mee Recipe

AuthorHolisticJB
RatingDifficultyIntermediate

If you are searching a taste of Malaysia then the Penang White Curry Mee is a great start! You Must Try This Number 1 Spice Sensation

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Penang White Curry Mee

Yields6 Servings
Prep Time1 hrCook Time1 hr 30 minsTotal Time2 hrs 30 mins

For The Broth
 1 l water
 1 l Chicken Stock
 1 l Coconut Water (fresh or from a carton)
 40 g Chinese Rock Sugar(or 30g Regular Granulated Sugar)
 4 tsp Salt
 2 sticks Lemongrassroughly chopped, white stalk only
 250 g prawn shells and heads(the waste of fleshy prawn)
 100 ml Coconut Milk(add only just before serving)
 1 tbsp oil
 120 g Taupok(Puffed Fried Bean Curd)
The White Curry Paste
 20 g Dried Red Chilli
 2 Chili Padi(optional)
 12 Shallots
 6 Garlic Cloves
 3 tbsp Dried Shrimp(the smallest)
 1.50 tbsp Coriander Seed Powder
 ½ tsp White Pepper(powdered)
 ½ tbsp Belachan Powder
 4 sticks Lemongrass(roughly chopped, white parts only)
 150 ml oil
Bowl Ingredients
 200 g Beansprouts(scalded)
 400 g de-shelled prawns(scalded, use shells and heads for the broth)
 400 g Noodles(scalded)
 100 g Cockles (Optional but Recommended - Yummy!)

Assemble The Paste
1

Roughly chop all the curry paste ingredients and add to a blender. Blend and pulse until smooth. The smoother the better.
Heat a frypan and add the spice paste. Gently fry until fragrant over a medium heat. Stir constantly to ensure the spice paste doesn't catch or burn. When the paste is fragrant and becomes slightly darker , remove from the heat.

chili paste

Assemble The Broth
2

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat.
Add the prawn shells and heads to the hot oil and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and fry the prawn shells for another 5 minutes until highly fragrant.
Take a large saucepan and add all the remaining broth ingredients (except taupok and coconut milk), add the fried shells and oil and bring it all to the boil.
Allow the broth to rapidly boil for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat bringing the broth to a gentle simmer.
Cover the broth, reduce the heat so the broth is only just bubbling and simmer for an hour.
Strain the broth to remove the lemongrass, shells and prawn heads.

When redy to serve
3

While you prepare the individual portions, reheat the broth.
Lightly blanch the noodles, prawn tails and beansprouts in boiling water. This only takes about 5 - 10 seconds.
While the broth is boiling add the taupok (bean curd puff)
Share the noodles, prawn meat and beansprouts between individual serving bowls. (if using cockles add them now also)
Then when ready to serve remove the broth from the heat and add the coconut milk.
Stir gently to mix the coconut milk into the broth and ladle over the bowl of noodles, prawn and beansprouts.
While the broth is boiling hot add a generous scoop of the curry paste into the side of the dish, allowing the oils to seep into the broth.
*optional - garnish with some fresh mint leaves
Serve immediately

Penang White Curry Mee

Ingredients

For The Broth
 1 l water
 1 l Chicken Stock
 1 l Coconut Water (fresh or from a carton)
 40 g Chinese Rock Sugar(or 30g Regular Granulated Sugar)
 4 tsp Salt
 2 sticks Lemongrassroughly chopped, white stalk only
 250 g prawn shells and heads(the waste of fleshy prawn)
 100 ml Coconut Milk(add only just before serving)
 1 tbsp oil
 120 g Taupok(Puffed Fried Bean Curd)
The White Curry Paste
 20 g Dried Red Chilli
 2 Chili Padi(optional)
 12 Shallots
 6 Garlic Cloves
 3 tbsp Dried Shrimp(the smallest)
 1.50 tbsp Coriander Seed Powder
 ½ tsp White Pepper(powdered)
 ½ tbsp Belachan Powder
 4 sticks Lemongrass(roughly chopped, white parts only)
 150 ml oil
Bowl Ingredients
 200 g Beansprouts(scalded)
 400 g de-shelled prawns(scalded, use shells and heads for the broth)
 400 g Noodles(scalded)
 100 g Cockles (Optional but Recommended - Yummy!)

Directions

Assemble The Paste
1

Roughly chop all the curry paste ingredients and add to a blender. Blend and pulse until smooth. The smoother the better.
Heat a frypan and add the spice paste. Gently fry until fragrant over a medium heat. Stir constantly to ensure the spice paste doesn't catch or burn. When the paste is fragrant and becomes slightly darker , remove from the heat.

chili paste

Assemble The Broth
2

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat.
Add the prawn shells and heads to the hot oil and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and fry the prawn shells for another 5 minutes until highly fragrant.
Take a large saucepan and add all the remaining broth ingredients (except taupok and coconut milk), add the fried shells and oil and bring it all to the boil.
Allow the broth to rapidly boil for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat bringing the broth to a gentle simmer.
Cover the broth, reduce the heat so the broth is only just bubbling and simmer for an hour.
Strain the broth to remove the lemongrass, shells and prawn heads.

When redy to serve
3

While you prepare the individual portions, reheat the broth.
Lightly blanch the noodles, prawn tails and beansprouts in boiling water. This only takes about 5 - 10 seconds.
While the broth is boiling add the taupok (bean curd puff)
Share the noodles, prawn meat and beansprouts between individual serving bowls. (if using cockles add them now also)
Then when ready to serve remove the broth from the heat and add the coconut milk.
Stir gently to mix the coconut milk into the broth and ladle over the bowl of noodles, prawn and beansprouts.
While the broth is boiling hot add a generous scoop of the curry paste into the side of the dish, allowing the oils to seep into the broth.
*optional - garnish with some fresh mint leaves
Serve immediately

Penang White Curry Mee

Penang White Curry Mee

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