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Mee Rebus is a Malaysian dish of yellow noodles coated in a rich, spicy, and flavorful potato-based gravy. I love topping it with crispy prawn fritters, fried beancurd, and hard-boiled eggs, just like the way it’s served by Mamak hawkers in Penang, Malaysia. Here’s a homemade and authentic recipe for you to try!
Mee Rebus: A Mamak Classic
Mee rebus is one of my all-time favorite Malaysian noodle dishes, known for its rich, flavorful gravy made from a blend of spices, sweet potatoes, tamarind, chicken and prawn stock! The savory, slightly tangy and spicy gravy coats yellow noodles, with toppings of hard-boiled eggs, fried beancurd (firm tofu), crispy fried shallots, and fresh calamansi lime for that extra zest and flavor.
In Malaysia, Mee Rebus is a popular offering at Mamak stalls, where hawkers prepare and serve this comforting dish throughout the day, often alongside Indian Mee Goreng.
The homemade spice paste for the gravy in my recipe is what really makes this dish special, adding a fresh, aromatic depth of flavor that store-bought pastes just can’t match. I love serving it with cucur udang (Malaysian shrimp fritters), which soak up the gravy perfectly.
Don’t forget to check out my tips below to make sure your mee rebus tastes just like the ones sold at hawker stalls. If you love this dish, you’ll definitely love my Mee Udang recipe too!
Sidenote: Mamak are Tamil Muslim communities in Malaysia, known for their unique fusion of Indian and Malay cuisines, served at popular roadside eateries called Mamak stalls, where they also sell favorites like Roti Canai.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re Malaysian and missing the taste of home, you’ve got to try this recipe:
- Malaysian hawker stall vibes. My tried and tested mee rebus recipe tastes just like the authentic version from the best street food stalls.
- Homemade spice paste. I use a fresh, homemade spice paste that really boosts the flavor. It gives the dish a depth and richness that store-bought pastes just can’t match.
- Rich and flavorful gravy. The gravy is thick, savory, and just the right amount of spices, you can taste the flavors of the prawn and chicken stock, making every mouthful of noodles absolutely satisfying.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Yellow noodle – Yellow noodles are the traditional choice for this dish, but if you can’t find them, you can substitute with plain noodles.
- Beansprouts – If you’re not a fan of beansprouts, you can add shredded lettuce as an alternative to balance things out.
Spice Paste For The Gravy Ingredients
- Dried red chilies – Soak them in warm water to make blending easier. If you prefer a milder paste, you can use fewer chilies.
- Ground coriander
- Fennel
- Ground cumin
- Shallots – Asian shallots (often called red shallots) are typically used. If you can’t find Asian shallots, you can substitute with small red onions, though the flavor will be a bit stronger.
- Ground turmeric powder
- Ginger – Make sure to use fresh ginger, do not use dried ginger.
Gravy Ingredients
- Cooking oil
- Cinnamon stick
- Sweet potatoes – Use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. The secret ingredient that gives the right level of sweetness and helps thicken the gravy.
- Chicken stock and prawn stock – Using both chicken and prawn stocks gives the gravy a rich, full-bodied flavor that’s iconic to this dish. You can make prawn stock by boiling up prawn heads and shells.
- Tamarind concentrate – This comes in a bottle, and look for one that is unsweetened and made with real tamarind pulps.
- Coconut milk – Canned full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream is preferred.
- Salt
Topping Ingredients
- Hardboiled eggs
- Prawn fritters – Check out my Shrimp Fritters recipe to learn how to make them!
- Fried beancurd
- Fried shallots
- Lime
- Shredded lettuce – optional.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
How To Make Mee Rebus
Step 1: Blend spice paste ingredients using a food processor or a blender. Set aside.
Step 2: Heat a pan with oil over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and spice paste, cooking until aromatic.
Step 3: Loosen the mashed sweet potatoes with 2 cups of chicken stock, then add them to the pan. Pour in the remaining chicken stock and add the prawn stock. Stir and cook with the spice paste. Let it simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the tamarind concentrate and coconut milk, and continue simmering until the gravy thickens. Season with salt to taste.
Step 4: To serve, place the noodles and beansprouts in a bowl, then garnish with hard-boiled eggs, prawn fritters, beancurd, fried shallots, shredded lettuce and lime. Serve immediately.
Secrets To Perfect Mee Rebus Every Time
- I always make the homemade spice paste because it’s worth the effort. It gives my mee rebus the authentic flavor I love, adding a rich depth that store-bought pastes just can’t match.
- For the perfect gravy texture, I always use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. I don’t use other types of sweet potatoes like purple or yellow-fleshed ones because the color of the gravy will not look right!
- If the gravy is too thick, I usually add a bit more chicken stock or prawn stock. If it’s too thin, let it simmer a little longer to thicken up. It should coat the noodles perfectly without being too heavy.
- I make sure to let the gravy simmer for a good 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to blend together and gives the sauce a rich, aromatic finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make the spice paste ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tamarind concentrate is much more concentrated and has a stronger, more intense flavor than tamarind paste. If you’re using tamarind paste, use about 2 to 3 tablespoons to match the tanginess of 1 tablespoon of tamarind concentrate.
Blanch them just before serving and drain well. You can also rinse them with cold water after cooking to stop the cooking process.
If you have leftovers, store the gravy and noodles separately in airtight containers. The noodles will get soggy if stored in the gravy. The gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
This recipe is 310 calories per serving.
Other Malaysian Street Food
If you love street food, you have got to try out these popular hawker food and noodles found in Malaysia:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Mee Rebus
Ingredients
- 1 pack yellow noodles, blanched
- beansprouts, blanched
Spice paste for gravy:
- 8 dried red chillies, soaked to soften
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 10 shallots, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 inch (2 cm) ginger
Gravy
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 350 gram sweet potatoes, skinned, steamed and mashed
- 7 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup prawn stock
- 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- salt, to taste
Garnishings:
- hard-boiled eggs, shelled and halved
- fried beancurd , sliced
- prawn fritters
- fried shallots
- limes
- lettuce , shredded
Instructions
- Blend spice paste ingredients using a food processor or a blender. Set aside.
- Heat a pan with oil over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and spice paste, cooking until aromatic.
- Loosen the mashed sweet potatoes with 2 cups of chicken stock, then add them to the pan. Pour in the remaining chicken stock and add the prawn stock. Stir and cook with the spice paste. Let it simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the tamarind concentrate and coconut milk, and continue simmering until the gravy thickens. Season with salt to taste.
- To serve, place the noodles and beansprouts in a bowl, then garnish with hard-boiled eggs, prawn fritters, beancurd, fried shallots, shredded cabbage and lime. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I always make the homemade spice paste because it’s worth the effort. It gives my mee rebus the authentic flavor I love, adding a rich depth that store-bought pastes just can’t match.
- For the perfect gravy texture, I always use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. I don’t use other types of sweet potatoes like purple or white-fleshed ones because they don’t thicken the gravy as well and can affect the flavor and texture.
- If the gravy is too thick, I add a bit more stock or coconut milk. If it’s too thin, let it simmer a little longer to thicken up. It should coat the noodles perfectly without being too heavy.
- I make sure to let the gravy simmer for a good 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to blend together and gives the sauce a rich, aromatic finish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have to agree with Nabil
This is not the real mee rebus !
I have always liked Rasa Malaysia’s recipes but this one on mee rebus is a big disappointment!
I am sorry to hear that. This mee rebus recipe was contributed by a guest blogger.
This is NOT proper mee rebus. Not even close…You are disgracing yourself and Malaysian food. Wake Up!
Nabil, there is NO NEED for you to be so mean to my guest contributor who contributed the recipe. Please be graceful.
You’re a very nasty person.
This guy is not a proper human being. NOT EVEN CLOSE! Your family should be ashamed of you. God bless your innocence soul.
This is one of the easiest recipe for Mee Rebus, thanks you. It’s so easy I have to try to make it this coming weekend – no excuse! Also luckily A1 chicken curry is easily available from the nearest oriental store.
Which instant chicken curry paste did you use?
A1.
Mi Rebus Medan is the same as malaysian taste noodle dish. Suitable for my dinner
It’s an easy recipe to follow. I use Tean’s curry laksa paste instead of A1 curry chicken paste. I also added some sweet potatoes and potato for the soup. Its delicious with the cucur udang! Whenever I’m looking for a recipe, I always search from your website first. Most recipes have a great outcome. Thanks! :)
I didn’t see the instructions on how to make the paste for mee rebus except for the prawn fritters.
Was it somewhere else???
I also can’t find it! :(