Seafood Mee Goreng Mamak with Homemade Chili Paste

Method

1. Snip the dried chilies with scissors, shake out the seeds and soak them in hot water for 10 min. Squeeze them dry and blend to a fine paste with half the shallots, half the garlic and 2 tablespoons of water. Slice the remaining shallots paper-thin.

   Add in this stepDried red chilies 8Shallots 2½Garlic cloves 2½

2. Heat part of the oil in a 18 cm pan, add the chili paste and fry on medium-low heat for 7 min, stirring often. Add the palm sugar; the paste is done when it turns deep brick red and the oil separates at the edges (Malaysians call it pecah minyak). Under-fried paste tastes raw and harshly hot.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1¾ tbspPalm sugar (or brown sugar) 1 tsp

   medium-low heat

3. Put part of the oil and the sliced shallots into another pan while still cold and fry on medium heat for 5 min, stirring (about 150 °C). As soon as they are pale golden, lift them onto paper towels; they keep darkening after they come out, so don't wait for brown. Keep the shallot oil in the pan.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1¾ tbspShallots 2½

   medium heat

4. Cut the potato into 1 cm cubes and the tofu into 2 cm cubes and pat them dry. Fry the potato in the shallot oil on medium heat, turning, then add the tofu; cook 9 min in total, until golden outside and the potato is tender inside. Lift them out. Dry pieces mean less spitting oil.

   Add in this stepPotato 120 gFirm tofu 100 g

   medium heat

5. Stir together the kecap manis, light soy, ketchup, oyster sauce and water. Score the inside of the squid in a criss-cross and cut it into bite-size pieces, chop the remaining garlic, and loosen the noodles under hot water and drain. Divide everything into portions.

   Add in this stepKecap manis (sweet soy sauce) 2 tbspLight soy sauce 2 tspTomato ketchup 2 tbspOyster sauce 2 tspWater 45 ml

6. Cook one portion at a time, 2 rounds in all, so the wok never cools. Heat the wok on high heat until it smokes, add one portion of the remaining oil, fry the garlic for a few seconds, then add the prawns and squid and toss for 1 min 30 sec, until the prawns turn opaque and the squid curls white. Any longer and the squid turns rubbery.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 2.4 tbspGarlic cloves 2½Medium prawns, peeled and deveined 140 gSquid tubes 100 g

   high heat

7. Push the seafood aside, crack in an egg and half-scramble it, then add the noodles, one portion of chili paste, the potato and tofu, choy sum and tomato, and pour one portion of sauce around the edge. Toss on high heat for 2 min 30 sec, letting the noodles sit a few seconds between tosses so they char, and crush some potato into them.

   Add in this stepEggs 2Fresh yellow (alkaline egg) noodles 300 gChoy sum or bok choy 120 gTomato 1

   high heat

8. Add the bean sprouts, toss for just 30 sec and plate at once. Top generously with crispy shallots and add lime. Quickly wipe the wok and repeat for the next portion.

   Add in this stepBean sprouts 80 gLime (or calamansi) 1