Curry mee

Curry mee
TypeNoodle soup
Region or stateMaritime Southeast Asia
Associated cuisineMalaysia and Singapore[1]
Main ingredientsNoodles, sambal (chilli paste), coconut milk, herbs

Curry mee (Malay: mi kari; simplified Chinese: 咖喱面; traditional Chinese: 咖喱麵; pinyin: Gālímiàn; Jyutping: Gaa3 Lei1 Min6; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ka-lí-mī) is a Maritime Southeast Asian spicy noodle soup garnished with various toppings. In Johor and Singapore, it is sometimes called curry laksa (Malay: mi kari; Chinese: 咖喱喇沙; pinyin: Gālí Lǎshā; Jyutping: 咖喱叻沙(Gaa3 Lei1 Lek1 Saa1)[2]; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: 咖喱叻沙(Ka-lí La̍k-sá)[3]).[4] Numerous variants of the dish, including preparations with a drier or thicker gravy, exist in both the countries of Malaysia and Singapore.

Preparation

A typical preparation of Malaysian/Singaporean-style curry mee consists of thin yellow noodles or rice vermicelli immersed in a spiced broth enriched with coconut milk, accompanied with chilli or sambal relish.[4][5] Potential toppings for curry mee include chicken, prawns, cuttlefish, cockles, boiled eggs, pieces of deep fried tofu puffs, fried foo chuk, green beans, bean sprouts and mint leaves.[4][5]

In Malaysia and Singapore, Chinese-style preparations often include pork products, such as fried lard croutons and cubes of pig blood curd.[6][7][4] Curry mee prepared for Muslim customers exclude pork products in compliance of halal dietary laws.[8]

Variants

Two versions can be found in the northern Malaysian state of Penang, which differs from the Singaporean version in the south: a bright orange chicken curry version, or a pale and thin coconut broth version known as white curry mee.[7] Its capital city of George Town is famous for its curry mee, which is considered a staple favourite among local residents.[9] A notable stall in the Ayer Itam area, which was operated by a pair of sisters for over 70 years, is renowned for its version of the dish and its founders have become local cultural icons.[10][11]

Some versions of the dish are prepared with gravy which is drier and thicker in consistency. The city of Ipoh in Perak state is known for its dry curry noodles, which are often topped with pieces of cooked chicken, char siu or roast pork.[6][12]

Curry mee is also available as a flavour for commercial instant noodles.[13] Unusual variants which trended on social media involve boiling Maggi brand instant curry mee together with Milo powder or serving it with KitKat chocolate bars.[14][15]

In Bandung of Indonesia, mie kari consists of beef, potatoes, boiled egg, soybean, emping, bawang goreng, and sweet soy sauce. The ingredients of mie kari are the same as lontong kari dish but the lontong is replaced with noodles.[16]

  • Singapore-style curry mee bought at a Bukit Batok stall, which is also sometimes known as "curry laksa"
    Singapore-style curry mee bought at a Bukit Batok stall, which is also sometimes known as "curry laksa"
  • Ipoh-style curry mee with soupy consistency
    Ipoh-style curry mee with soupy consistency
  • White curry mee from the Lim Sisters' Ayer Itam stall.
    White curry mee from the Lim Sisters' Ayer Itam stall.

See also

References

  1. ^ Ken Hom (5 January 2012). My Kitchen Table: 100 Easy Chinese Suppers. Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4464-1725-6.
  2. ^ "叻沙 - Wiktionary". Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  3. ^ "叻沙 - Wiktionary". Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Curry Mee (Curry Laksa)". Rasa Malaysia. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Lee, Khang Yi (February 9, 2020). "If you like cockles in your curry mee, head over to this place in Klang". Malay Mail. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Ivan Loh (June 27, 2019). "Bowled over by Ipoh's curry noodles". The Star. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Suzanne Lazaroo (September 4, 2017). "Recipes for three variants of laksa: curry laksa, assam laksa and laksa siam". Straits Times. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  8. ^ Dhesegaan Bala Krishnan (November 24, 2020). "Confirmed: Meat from OldTown White Coffee not pork". New Straits Times. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Man who escaped gallows yearns for curry mee". The Star. March 12, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  10. ^ Liew Jia Xian (July 6, 2020). "Hopes to meet Lim sisters at stall dashed". The Star. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  11. ^ R Sekaran (February 20, 2021). "Tasteful tribute to 'curry mee' sisters". The Star. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  12. ^ Mohan, Chris (June 11, 2018). "How to enjoy a perfect day trip in Perak with only RM150". Malay Mail. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  13. ^ David Tan (January 18, 2016). "No slowing down". The Star. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Tamara Jayne (January 10, 2020). "Malaysians Are Actually Wanting To Try Petron's New 'Recipe' - KitKat Dunked In Maggi". Says.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  15. ^ Mae Yen Yap (August 12, 2020). "Milo in Maggi Curry Mee isn't a new food trend, but why does it even exist?". Mashable. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  16. ^ Setya, Devi. "Bikin Laper! Kepincut Enaknya Lontong dan Mie Kari Legendaris". detikfood.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 March 2024.