Mee Betawi

Have been eating rice for Iftar lately and so, would like to try some noodles. Mee Betawi...said to originate from the old Batavia..but then again,..no one knows for sure...but what is certain, is its robust gravy, exploding with flavour..

Ingredients

Yellow Noodles - blanched
Bean Sprouts - blanched
Spinach Greens / Chye Sim - blanched
Red Capsicum - thinly sliced - blanched
Beancurd / Tofu - cubed and deep fried
Pickled Green Chillies
Fried Shallots

Gravy

Blend :
5 onions
6 cloves of garlic
2 inch ginger
2 inch galangal
15 birds eye chillies
2 red chillies
2 green chillies
2 cubes of beef granules
3 tbsp rempah soto (Soto spices)

1 cinnamon bark
2 star anise
2 cardamoms
1 stalk of lemongrass - bruised
2 pcs of bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2/3 cup of soy sauce (kicap manis)
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of ground black pepper
salt and sugar to taste
10 cups water or more
500g fatty unlean beef (tetel)
500g beef - cut into thick cubes

Heat abt 1 cup of oil in wok and saute the cinnamon bark, star anise and cardamoms, followed by the ground ingredients till cooked and fragrant. Add in the bruised lemongrass and bayleaves.Add in the tomato, soy, oyster sauce and black pepper. Season with salt and sugar. Add in the water. Dump in the meat and under medium heat, cook gravy until meat is tender.

To serve, place noodles and sprouts in a bowl. Spoon gravy over and complete it with the veggie, capsicum, beancurd, fried shallots and pickled green chillies.