Mee Rebus (Noodles in Sweet Potato Curry Gravy)
Noodles Medium

Mee Rebus (Noodles in Sweet Potato Curry Gravy)

Quick answer

Mee rebus is a Malaysian noodle dish where springy yellow noodles are topped with a thick gravy built from mashed sweet potato, curry powder, peanut butter, and chicken stock.

What makes this special

  • Mashed sweet potato creates a naturally thick and spiced curry gravy for mee rebus noodles.
  • Mashed sweet potato dissolved in stock builds the gravy base with natural sweetness
  • Peanut butter adds a nutty weight and thickness to the sweet potato curry sauce
Total time
55 min
Level
Medium
Servings
2 servings
Ingredients
8
Calories
620 kcal
Protein
20 g

Key ingredients

yellow noodlessweet potatopeanut buttercurry powderchicken stock

Core cooking flow

  1. 1 Peel the 180 g sweet potato, cut it into small pieces, and boil until completely tender.
  2. 2 Stir about half of the 500 ml chicken stock into the mashed sweet potato a little at a time.
  3. 3 Put the sweet potato base in a pot with 1 tbsp curry powder, 2 tbsp peanut butter, and 1 tbsp soy sauce.

Mee rebus is a Malaysian noodle dish where springy yellow noodles are topped with a thick gravy built from mashed sweet potato, curry powder, peanut butter, and chicken stock. The sweet potato dissolves into the stock to form a naturally thick base, and the curry powder and peanut butter contribute layers of spice and nuttiness that make the sauce unlike any other noodle topping. Soy sauce adds fermented depth and ties the sweetness and spice together. If the gravy becomes too thick during cooking, extra stock loosens it without diluting the flavor. A halved boiled egg and a squeeze of fresh lime just before eating cut through the richness, bringing the bright acidity that is a hallmark of Southeast Asian noodle dishes.

Prep 20min Cook 35min 2 servings
Recipes by ingredient → soy sauce

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps
  1. 1
    Heat

    Peel the 180 g sweet potato, cut it into small pieces, and boil until completely tender.

    When a skewer slides in easily, drain well and mash while hot so the gravy base stays smooth.

  2. 2
    Prep

    Stir about half of the 500 ml chicken stock into the mashed sweet potato a little at a time.

    Mix until no lumps remain, keeping the rest of the stock nearby to adjust the gravy later.

  3. 3
    Control

    Put the sweet potato base in a pot with 1 tbsp curry powder, 2 tbsp peanut butter, and 1 tbsp soy sauce.

    Cook over medium-low heat, scraping the bottom often so the thick mixture does not scorch.

  4. 4
    Finish

    When the gravy starts bubbling gently, simmer for about 5 minutes to mellow the curry flavor.

    It should coat a spoon thickly, but if it turns heavy or pasty, loosen it with small splashes of the reserved stock.

  5. 5
    Heat

    Cook the 250 g yellow noodles in boiling water until the strands loosen and turn springy.

    Drain before they become soft or swollen, then shake off excess water so the gravy clings instead of thinning out.

  6. 6
    Heat

    Place the drained noodles in bowls and ladle over plenty of hot gravy.

    Halve the 2 boiled eggs and set them on top, then squeeze the lime just before serving so the acidity stays clear.

After the steps

Pick a recipe that fits this dish.

Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.

Recipes That Go Well With This

More Noodles →

Based on shared ingredients and meal pairing

Mee Bandung (Malaysian Johor Shrimp Tomato Gravy Noodles)
Shared ingredient: yellow wheat noodles Asian

Mee Bandung (Malaysian Johor Shrimp Tomato Gravy Noodles)

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. 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.

Hokkien Lor Mee (Braised Gravy Noodles)
Shared ingredient: boiled eggs Asian

Hokkien Lor Mee (Braised Gravy Noodles)

Hokkien lor mee is a thick-gravy noodle dish from the Chinese communities of Singapore and Malaysia, built on chicken stock seasoned with dark soy sauce and five-spice powder. The dark soy gives the broth its deep mahogany color and intense saltiness, while five-spice, with its blend of star anise and cinnamon, layers in aromatic complexity. A cornstarch slurry is added gradually to thicken the broth to a glossy, almost sauce-like consistency that coats the yellow noodles completely. Bean sprouts are blanched for just one minute to retain their crunch, and halved boiled eggs provide a creamy element. The traditional finishing touch is raw minced garlic and a splash of black vinegar, both of which cut through the heavy gravy and keep each spoonful from becoming monotonous.

Korean Flower Crab Pancake
Serve together Pancakes

Korean Flower Crab Pancake

Fresh blue crab meat is picked clean, coated in a mixture of all-purpose flour and Korean pancake mix, dipped in beaten egg, and pan-fried until the surface turns golden. The crab's natural sweetness and mild brininess stay intact throughout the process, and minced ginger cuts through any residual fishiness without announcing itself in the finished jeon. Black pepper is added in small amounts - just enough to clean up the aftertaste without competing with the delicate crab. The egg coating holds moisture inside, keeping the meat tender while the outside crisps to a light, golden crust. A generous amount of crab filling in each piece is what makes the texture satisfying.

Ayam Lemak Cili Padi (Malay Coconut Chicken with Bird's Eye Chili)
Similar recipe Asian

Ayam Lemak Cili Padi (Malay Coconut Chicken with Bird's Eye Chili)

Ayam lemak cili padi is a kampung staple from Malaysia's east coast states, built on a simple formula of chicken simmered in thin coconut milk with bird's eye chilies, turmeric, lemongrass, and shallots. Unlike richer curries where coconut milk is reduced to a thick gravy, the broth here stays deliberately soupy and light, designed to be spooned over steamed rice. Bird's eye chilies hit with an immediate, sharp heat the moment they touch the tongue - a quality distinct from the slow-building burn of dried chili pastes - and the heat lingers well past the last spoonful. Turmeric turns the broth a pale gold and contributes an earthy bitterness that runs beneath the coconut sweetness, keeping the overall flavor from tipping too rich. The dish requires no elaborate technique: the same pot holds everything from raw chicken to finished broth, and the short ingredient list reflects the rural economy it came from.

Serve with this

Korean Seasoned Bracken Fern
Side dishes Easy

Korean Seasoned Bracken Fern

Gosari, the Korean name for bracken fern, is one of the oldest foraged vegetables in Korean cooking, with consumption records tracing back to the Three Kingdoms period. It is a mandatory component of bibimbap and a required dish on jesa, the ancestral rite table set for ceremonies honoring the dead. Dried gosari must soak overnight in cold water and then boil until the tough, wiry fibers relax into a distinctively springy, almost elastic chew that no fresh vegetable can replicate. The rehydrated fern is stir-fried in perilla oil with minced garlic until fragrant, then a small amount of soup soy sauce and water goes in and the pan is covered to let the liquid absorb and the fern braise briefly. This short braising step is what rounds the flavor and ensures the seasoning penetrates the fibrous strands rather than sitting only on the surface. Perilla oil is the traditional fat of choice rather than sesame oil because its green, herbal quality pairs more naturally with the woodsy, forest-floor flavor of gosari, amplifying rather than competing with it. Large batches are typically made during Chuseok or Seollal and eaten over several days, as the flavor improves and deepens as the dish sits.

🏠 Everyday 🎉 Special Occasion
Prep 15min Cook 15min 4 servings
Korean Bitter Herb Kimchi
Kimchi Hard

Korean Bitter Herb Kimchi

Sseumbagwi kimchi is a traditional spring fermented side dish made from sseumbagwi, a wild bitter herb that grows in Korea during early spring. The herb is soaked in cold water for at least twenty minutes to pull back its pronounced bitterness before being salted to soften the stalks. It is then dressed in a seasoning paste built from gochugaru, sand lance fish sauce, minced garlic, ginger, sweet rice paste, and plum syrup, mixed together with cut scallions. The rice paste adds body to the seasoning so it clings to the herb's thin stems and narrow leaves rather than sliding off. Plum syrup works on both the bitterness and the salt's edge at once, smoothing the overall profile without masking the herb's character. Sand lance fish sauce is preferred over anchovy sauce here because its gentler aroma does not compete with the plant's natural flavor. Five hours of room-temperature fermentation followed by refrigeration sets off lactic acid development, layering tangy depth over the bitter-green base. The flavor peaks around day three when bitterness, acidity, and umami reach the best balance. If the raw herb tastes too sharp, one additional soak in fresh cold water brings it within range before seasoning.

🎉 Special Occasion 🍱 Lunchbox
Prep 45min Cook 5min 4 servings
Lotus Root Persimmon Salad
Salads Easy

Lotus Root Persimmon Salad

This salad combines blanched lotus root and sliced sweet persimmon to reflect seasonal autumn produce. The lotus root provides a clean and crisp texture that contrasts with the natural sweetness found in the fruit slices. A dressing composed of olive oil, honey, and fresh lemon juice is used to coat the ingredients without masking their individual flavors. Crumbled feta cheese provides a salty and tangy dairy element that balances the sugar content of the persimmon. Toasted walnuts, which are prepared by heating them briefly in a dry pan, contribute earthy fats and a crunchy texture that differs from the softer fruit. The salad is assembled on a base of baby greens to provide a layer of color. Dividing the dressing into two separate additions during the mixing process ensures that the seasoning is distributed evenly across all components. While the recipe typically uses firm persimmons, ripe soft persimmons known as hongsi can be used as an alternative. This variation produces a salad with a sweeter profile and a much softer, more yielding consistency.

🥗 Light & Healthy 🎉 Special Occasion
Prep 20min Cook 8min 2 servings

Similar recipes

Tamarind Fish Noodle Soup
Asian Medium

Tamarind Fish Noodle Soup

Asam laksa is Penang's defining noodle soup, recognized by UNESCO as one of Malaysia's intangible cultural heritage items. Where Singapore's curry laksa builds its richness on coconut milk, this version draws its entire character from a tamarind-soured fish broth that is tart, briny, and aggressively aromatic in a way that coconut-based versions never are. Whole mackerel is poached until it flakes, then removed and broken apart by hand; the remaining liquid is blended with torch ginger flower, lemongrass, and galangal pounded into a coarse paste to build the broth's layered fragrance. Tamarind sourness arrives first and dominates the initial impression, followed by a slow build of chili heat and the ocean depth of fish sauce. Thick rice noodles sit at the bottom of the bowl, their chewy resistance offering physical contrast to the sharp, lean broth that pours over them. The table condiments - julienned cucumber, fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced onion, and a spoonful of belacan-enriched prawn paste - are not optional garnishes but integral components: the fermented prawn paste in particular adds a dimension of umami that rounds the broth's acidity into something far more complex. Every hawker stall in Penang has its own spice ratios handed down through family lines, which is why no two bowls taste exactly alike.

🎉 Special Occasion 🌙 Late Night
Prep 25min Cook 35min 4 servings
Nasi Kandar (Penang Indian-Muslim Rice with Mixed Curries)
Asian Medium

Nasi Kandar (Penang Indian-Muslim Rice with Mixed Curries)

Nasi kandar is a Penang-born rice dish rooted in the culinary traditions of Malaysia's Indian-Muslim community. A mound of steamed white rice is doused with multiple curry gravies and accompanied by a choice of protein and vegetable sides. The defining technique is kuah campur - the deliberate mixing of different curry sauces so they pool together and soak into the rice, creating a layered complexity no single curry could achieve alone. Coconut milk lends a gentle richness, curry powder supplies aromatic depth, and chili brings lingering warmth. Diners select their own combination from a counter full of dishes, making each plate unique.

🎉 Special Occasion
Prep 20min Cook 35min 2 servings
Otak-Otak (Southeast Asian Grilled Fish Paste in Banana Leaf)
Asian Medium

Otak-Otak (Southeast Asian Grilled Fish Paste in Banana Leaf)

Otak-otak represents a traditional method of preparing grilled fish paste that is prevalent throughout various regions of Southeast Asia. It maintains particularly deep roots within the culinary heritage of Malaysia and Singapore. The process begins by taking fresh white fish and processing it into a very smooth consistency. This fish base is combined with coconut milk, egg whites, and red curry paste to create a uniform mixture. Once the paste is ready, it is spread out in thin layers onto prepared sections of banana leaves. These leaves are then folded to secure the contents before being placed over a charcoal fire for grilling. As the charcoal heat causes the edges of the banana leaves to char, a subtle smoky quality is transferred through the leaf directly into the soft fish mixture contained within. Finely sliced kaffir lime leaves are incorporated into the paste to provide a distinct citrus profile, which serves to balance the inherent fat content of the coconut milk. In terms of its final consistency, this preparation differs significantly from the dense structure typically associated with Western-style fish cakes. It possesses a texture that is more comparable to a firm custard, being notably smooth and moist while remaining soft when bitten into.

🎉 Special Occasion 🍺 Bar Snacks
Prep 25min Cook 15min 2 servings

Tips

Thin the gravy with extra stock if it gets too thick.
Squeeze lime right before eating for a brighter flavor.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories
620
kcal
Protein
20
g
Carbs
92
g
Fat
19
g