Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 12 oz of Asian egg noodles/ lo mein noodles (spaghetti is a great substitution too)
  • 2 Tbsp of cooking oil (divided)
  • 10-12 large shrimp still in shell (deveined and pat dry with paper towel)
  • 1 tsp of cumin powder
  • 1 tsp of good-quality curry powder
  • 1 cup or more chicken/beef broth
  • 4 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
  • 1/4 of whole cabbage (shredded)
  • 2 cups of mung bean sprouts
  • 2 Tbsp sambal oelek
  • 2-3 or more Thai chili (the amount depends on how spicy you want it to be)
  • 4 shallots (peeled)
  • 3 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 4 candlenuts/kemiri (omit if you don't have any)
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1/4 cup cooking oil
  • Emping Crackers
  • Squeeze of lime juice

Instruction

  • If you use fresh egg noodles/lo mein noodles in boiling water for about 3 minutes or so and then discard the water and rinse with cold water. If you are using dried spaghetti or dried egg noodles/lo mein noodles, cook to al dente or undercook a little bit is fine too and then rinse in cold water. Set aside
  • Place all the ingredients to be ground in a food processor and process into a smooth paste. The oil should help the grinding process going. Don't add any water, you can add a bit more oil if you think it's necessary
  • Preheat a large wok or skillet with 1 Tbsp of oil on high heat. When it's hot, add in the shrimp and stir fry until they turn pink and cook through, about 3-4 minutes (might be less if the shrimp is smaller). Dish them out from the wok/skillet and set aside. In the same wok/skillet, add in another 1 Tbsp of oil and let it preheat. Add in the shredded cabbage and stir fry until they are just started to wilt. Dish out to the same dish the shrimp is. Set aside
  • In the same wok again, pour in the ground spices paste into the wok. There's already oil in the paste. Add in cumin powder and curry powder. Stir fry until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add in the cooked noodles/pasta. Add in soy sauce and the kecap manis. Stir to mix everything. Add in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil and let it cook for about 2 minutes. It won't be as soupy, but there should somewhat saucy. Add more broth if you think you need more. Add in the shrimp, cabbage and mung bean sprouts. Give it a good stir again. Have a taste on the sauce and the noodles. Season with salt and kecap manis to your taste. It should be spicy, savory with hint of sweetness. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with emping crackers on the side if you have some. Enjoy!