Penang Curry Mee

Ingredients:

• 600g shelled cockles (optional)
• 500g prawns, steamed and shelled; use the heads to sweeten the stock by liquidizing them with 500ml water (cooked shrimp in water for 2 minutes instead of steaming, used stock for cooking)
• 3 to 4 pieces soaked cuttlefish heads (optional)
• 200g fried soya bean cubes (tow pok, available in local wet markets), halved or quartered (deep fried tofu - doubled to 400g, still not enough!)
• 200g cooked pig´s blood, cut into cubes (optional)
• 300g shredded, cooked chicken meat
• 500g blanched bean sprouts (taugeh)
• 600g blanched mee
• 300g blanched meehoon
• 1kg grated coconut, mixed with 4 liters water and squeezed for general santan to be used as main stock (TT used 1.5 cans of coconut milk, + ~3L water)
• 4 tbsp salt or to taste (TT used 2 teaspoons salt)
• 1½ tbsp rock sugar
• ½ tbsp monosodium glutamate (TT skipped)

Spices (finely ground) (Chen-Nee - used Japanese curry powder + shallots & garlic, skipped the rest):

• 100g shallots
• 25g garlic
• 3 tbsp coriander seeds (biji ketumbar) (2 teaspoons powder substituted)
• 4 tbsp chili paste
• 2 tbsp sliced lemon grass (serai)
• 10 peppercorns (½ teaspoon pepper powder substituted)
• ½ tbsp belacan granules (skipped)
• (added 3 tbsp of Hup Loong "Curry Mai Fun" mix, which is basically the same ingredient as the "spices" section

Chili oil (skipped):

• 110g chili paste
• 25g garlic, pounded
• 175ml to 200ml oil

Heat ½ cup oil to saute the spices till fragrant. Add in salt, rock sugar and 500ml general santan and bring to a low boil till sugar dissolves.

Add in the rest of the general santan, tow pok and pig´s blood, if used. When soup comes to a boil, add prawn stock and seasoning, then bring to just boiling point.

Remove from fire and use stock as a soup for the mee and meehoon. (Should the gravy or stock curdle, strain it.)

For the chili oil: Saute garlic and chili paste in oil until the chili disintegrates and oil floats to the surface. (Use this to garnish when serving.)