Mee Bandung (Malaysian Johor Shrimp Tomato Gravy Noodles)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Mee bandung is a traditional noodle dish from the Johor region of Malaysia, featuring yellow wheat noodles served in a thick, reddish-orange shrimp and tomato gravy.
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The base is prepared by stir-frying finely minced onions and garlic, followed by tomato paste and chili paste to create a concentrated aromatic paste. Shrimp stock and soy sauce are poured in and simmered before fresh shrimp are added and cooked briefly to maintain a tender texture. A starch slurry is stirred into the hot liquid to thicken it, producing a gravy that coats the noodles and sits between a soup and a stir-fry in consistency. The resulting sauce delivers a balanced profile of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors. The dish is finished by ladling the warm gravy over boiled noodles and topping them with shrimp and boiled eggs.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Boil 240g yellow wheat noodles in rapidly boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender through the center.
Rinse briefly under cold water to remove surface starch, then drain very well so the gravy will cling.
- 2Control
Finely chop 1 onion and 4 garlic cloves.
Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat and cook them for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant without letting the garlic burn.
- 3Step
Add 1.5 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp chili paste to the aromatic base.
Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the pot, until the paste darkens slightly and smells concentrated.
- 4Control
Pour in 700ml shrimp stock and 1 tbsp soy sauce, then bring it to a full boil over high heat.
Lower to medium and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes so the tomato, chili, and stock combine.
- 5Control
Add 180g shrimp and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stop as soon as they turn pink, curl, and feel firm, because overcooked shrimp will become tough in the gravy.
- 6Control
Stir the prepared 1 tbsp starch slurry until uniform, then drizzle it gradually into the simmering gravy while stirring.
When the gravy lightly coats a spoon and clings to the noodles, ladle it over the drained noodles.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Shrimp stock combined with tomato paste and chili paste for the gravy base
- Finish cue
- Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat and cook them for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant without letting the garlic burn.
- Avoid this
- Add the starch slurry as soon as the shrimp turn pink and firm to reduce overcooking.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
40min, 9 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 233 recipes
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