Mee Siam (Singaporean Tangy Tamarind Shrimp Rice Vermicelli)
Quick answer
Mee siam is a rice vermicelli dish from Singapore and Malaysia defined by a tamarind-based sauce that balances sour, sweet, and spicy in one bowl.
What makes this special
- Mee Siam features rice vermicelli in a sharp tamarind broth deepened by pounded dried shrimp.
- Finely pounded dried shrimp in rempah spreads seafood umami throughout
- Tamarind, fish sauce, and sugar create a triple sweet-sour-spicy base
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Soak 180g rice vermicelli in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- 2 Combine 1.5 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1.5 tbsp fish sauce in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- 3 Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a pan and saute half a finely chopped onion for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Mee siam is a rice vermicelli dish from Singapore and Malaysia defined by a tamarind-based sauce that balances sour, sweet, and spicy in one bowl. Thin rice noodles are stir-fried with a rempah, a pounded paste of dried shrimp, shallots, and chili, then finished with tamarind water, fish sauce, and sugar, with bean sprouts and tofu added near the end. A squeeze of fresh lime over the top introduces a bright acidity that cuts through the richness of the stir-fry. Despite the name referencing Siam, the dish is a distinctly Malay-Singaporean creation rather than Thai, most commonly eaten at breakfast or as a light meal at hawker centers. Soft-boiled eggs and whole shrimp are the standard toppings when the dish is served, and the heat level can be adjusted by varying the amount of chili in the rempah. Soaking the dried shrimp and pounding them finely before cooking deepens the umami in the rempah and spreads a consistent seafood richness throughout the sauce that whole or coarsely ground shrimp cannot achieve.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Soak 180g rice vermicelli in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
Over-soaking causes the noodles to break during stir-frying.
- 2Season
Combine 1.5 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1.5 tbsp fish sauce in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- 3Heat
Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a pan and saute half a finely chopped onion for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- 4Control
Add 150g shrimp and stir-fry over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the exterior turns pink.
They do not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
- 5Control
Add the soaked noodles and prepared sauce.
Stir-fry over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce coats every strand of noodle evenly.
- 6Finish
Add 120g bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 more minute to keep their crunch.
Serve with lime wedges for extra freshness.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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