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1
Soak and Blend the Sambal Paste
10 Mins
No heat — soak and blend at room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Soak the dried red chillies in 60 ml hot water for 10 minutes, then drain. Put them in a blender with the fresh red chillies, shallots, garlic and toasted belacan, and blend to a thick, slightly coarse paste, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water only if the blender stalls.
Keep the paste coarse, not silky smooth: a little texture is what makes sambal tumis cling to the crisp noodles.
Done when: A thick, dark-red paste that holds its shape on a spoon.
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2
Cook the Sambal Tumis
20 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Heat the 30 g of oil for the sambal in a small pan over medium heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring often, for 5 minutes until it darkens and smells fragrant. Stir in the palm sugar, the tamarind paste mixed with 2 tablespoons of warm water, and the salt. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sambal is thick, dark red and glossy, with a thin rim of oil showing at the edges. Taste and add a pinch more salt or sugar if needed, then set aside.
Do not rush this step: the slow fry is what turns raw chilli heat into the deep, sweet-sour flavour of a proper sambal tumis.
Done when: The sambal is dark red, thick enough to mound on a spoon, and oil glistens at the edges of the pan.
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3
Coil the Noodles into Snail Nests
10 Mins
No heat — shape at room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Divide the loosened noodles into 4 equal bundles of about 100 g each. Working on a plate lined with baking paper, wind each bundle around your fingers into a flat spiral about 12 cm (5 in) across, just like a snail shell, and tuck the loose end underneath so the coil holds. Press each nest down gently so it sits flat. Remember: the snail shape is only a shape — there is no snail meat in this dish.
A loose coil fries crisper than a tight one: leave small gaps between the strands so the hot oil can reach every part.
Done when: Four flat, even spirals that hold their shape when you lift the plate.
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4
Deep-Fry the Nests Until Crisp
10 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Heat the 500 ml of oil in a wok or deep pan to 180°C (350°F). Slide one nest in at a time and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per nest, turning once with tongs, until deep golden all over and completely crisp. Lift each nest out, let the oil drip back into the wok for a few seconds, and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Fry the remaining nests the same way, letting the oil come back to 180°C (350°F) between batches.
Fry one nest at a time: crowding the wok drops the oil temperature and makes soggy, greasy noodles instead of crisp ones.
Done when: The nest is deep golden, rigid when lifted, and shatters when you snap off a piece.
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5
Spoon on the Sambal and Serve
5 Mins
Serve warm, about 60°C (140°F)
Place a fried nest on each plate and spoon about 50 g of the warm sambal tumis over the top, as in the photo. Serve at once, while the noodles are still crisp and the sambal is warm. Eat with your hands or a fork, breaking the nest into pieces and scooping up the sambal with each bite.
Spoon the sambal on only just before serving: it keeps the nest crisp, and the hot sambal softens just the strands it touches.
Done when: A golden, crisp nest with a generous mound of dark-red sambal on top, served warm.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the mee siput warm, one crisp nest per person, with the dark-red sambal tumis spooned generously over the top — break the nest apart with your hands and let the sambal reach every crunchy strand.
Malaysia
1h 10m
