Penang Curry Noodle Soup (Curry Mee)
Curry mee Say it: KUH-ree mee
Curry mee is Penang’s beloved hawker noodle soup, eaten for breakfast, lunch, and supper. A thin, fragrant coconut curry broth—built on chilli, shallot, lemongrass, and belacan—is ladled over yellow egg noodles and rice vermicelli. The classic Penang bowl includes tofu puffs, cockles, and cubes of pig blood, finished with bean sprouts, mint, fried shallots, and a sharp spoonful of sambal. It is creamy but light, spicy but sweet, and deeply savoury from the shrimp paste and shellfish. Each bowl is assembled to order.
Penang Curry Noodle Soup (Curry Mee)
Curry mee
Pronounced KUH-ree mee
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, egg, soy, shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Curry paste
Broth
Noodles and toppings
To cook
Method
For the paste, blend the soaked chillies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, belacan, curry powder, and ground coriander with 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the measured water until smooth, scraping down the blender as needed.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture darkens, smells fragrant, and the oil separates at the edges.
Add the chicken and stir for 2–3 minutes, until the outside turns opaque. Pour in the remaining water, salt, and sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk and heat gently for 5 minutes without a hard boil; the broth should be thin, orange, and glossy. Taste and adjust salt, then keep hot over low heat.
Bring the 12 cups (3 L) water to a boil in a separate large pot. Cook the yellow noodles for 2–3 minutes, until just tender, then lift out and divide among bowls. Cook the rice vermicelli in the same water for 3–4 minutes, until soft but still springy, then drain and add to the bowls.
Add the tofu puffs to the curry broth and simmer for 5 minutes, until they are soft and have absorbed some broth. Add the cockles, cover, and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the shells open; discard any that stay closed. If using shelled clams, simmer for 1–2 minutes, until just firm. If using pig blood, add it now and simmer for 2 minutes, until warmed through.
Blanch the bean sprouts in the noodle water for 30 seconds, then drain. Ladle the hot broth and toppings over the noodles, then top with bean sprouts, mint, fried shallots, sambal, and lime wedges.
Regional variant: Kuala Lumpur Curry Laksa (Curry Laksa)
In Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, curry laksa is richer and thicker: use 1½ cups (360 ml) coconut milk, add 8 oz (225 g) prawns and 8 oz (225 g) chicken, and simmer 8 oz (225 g) long beans in the broth. Omit the cockles and pig blood, and serve with both yellow noodles and rice vermicelli.
Cook's notes
- Fry the curry paste patiently; the oil separating is the signal that the raw shallot and chilli smell has cooked out.
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer after adding coconut milk so it stays smooth rather than splitting.
- Add cockles at the last moment so they stay tender; serve immediately once the shells open.
Serve with
Extra sambal, lime wedges, and a cold Malaysian drink such as barley water or iced tea.
Make ahead and storage
The curry paste can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month; the broth can be made 2 days ahead and reheated gently without boiling. Cook the noodles and toppings just before serving.
