Prawn Mee... but HALAL!
a prawn mee stall's SECRET recipe, REVEALED!
I’ve been eating at Deanna’s Kitchen since their first physical stall opened in Toa Payoh in 2017. I enjoyed my bowl of prawn mee every single time, particularly the umami prawn soup which bursts with a profound natural sweetness of seafood.
recently at the nOm studio, we had the honour to host Deanna, founder of Deanna’s Kitchen, to learn her SECRET recipe for her famed Halal Prawn Mee, a product of years of recipe development. this was something BIG for her and for us - it’s her FIRST time generously sharing this trade secret so that all of you can make it at home too!
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Halal Prawn Noodles
(serves 4-6)
prawn stock
3 tbsp oil
500-600g prawn heads
8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp dried shrimp (haebee)
30g dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
2 litres water + 1 cup
5 shallots, halved
20g rock sugar
1 tbsp pounded dried shrimp, pulsed into powder (DD’s secret ingredient!)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp ground white pepper
salt, to taste
assembly
18 large prawns, shell-on
3 pcs fried fishcakes, sliced
500 grams clams
600g yellow mee
3 stalks kangkong (water spinach)
200g beansprouts (taugeh)
water, for blanching
chilli padi condiment
6 chilli padi, sliced
3 tbsp light soy sauce
directions
making the stock:
in a pan on medium heat, add oil. when it’s hot, sauté the prawn heads until it gets bright red. then, add the garlic, dried shrimp and anchovies. fry for another 5 minutes or until the aroma is released.
transfer the all the ingredients to a blender with 1 cup water and blend into a chunky paste. transfer the prawn head paste into a pot and add 2 litres water, shallots and rock sugar. bring to a boil and then turn down heat. simmer for 1.5-2 hours, covered, to bring out the prawn flavour. skim off any scum which floats to the top.
strain the broth to another pot, ensuring all the solids are discarded. add the pounded dried shrimp, soy sauces, fish sauce and white pepper. taste and adjust seasoning according to preference.
assembling prawn mee:
bring a saucepan of water to a boil. blanch a portion of yellow noodles until soft. strain and assemble onto a bowl. repeat the process with the kangkong, beansprouts and fish cakes.
submerge the whole prawns (~3pcs per serving) in the boiling prawn soup. drain out with a spider strainer and arrange prawns onto the noodles. then, blanch the clams into the soup until they open and lay onto the noodles.
pour the soup over. sprinkle on some white pepper and serve with the chilli padi & soy sauce on the side. alternatively, sprinkle on some chilli powder on the noodle soup.
for more NOODLE recipes from us, check these out!
