Ah-Ma's Mee Sua: 长寿面 Longevity Noodles. Paired with AF Chili Chunka Sambal

Mee Sua 长寿面  is a Chinese New Year must-have food for many communities from the Fujian region in China.  The name translates to longevity noodles and eating is for an auspicious start to the new year. For my family, Mee Sua is part of the traditional foods from my Dad’s side in Klang, Malaysia.  We would eat Mee Sua for breakfast on the first day of Chinese New Year after we had done our morning greetings tradition, to the elders in the family.  I love this noodle dish because of the incredible QQ bite to this noodle. It’s cooked with shitake mushrooms, Hae Bee dried shrimps, napa cabbage, fresh shrimp and sometimes, pork. It’s always served with a dollop of sambal next to it.

Ingredients:

Mee Sua, one 16 oz pack

1 large red onion, sliced finely

4 garlic cloves, minced finely

55 g hae bee, washed and drained (keep the shrimp water)

6-8 rehydrated dried shitake mushrooms, presoaked till soft then squeezed dry and cut into strips (keep the mushroom water)

16 oz Oregon fresh baby shrimp

Half a napa cabbage cut in half inch strips

1 large carrot, julienned

6 large eggs, make an omelet and cut into strips.

Vegetable cooking oil (organic canola, avocado or grapeseed)

Shaoxing wine

White Pepper

Optional garnish: Spring onions, home made crispy shallots

Method: 

1. Use a pasta pot with water (just like you’re cooking pasta). Do not add salt as this version of Mee Sua is very salty
2. Once the water is at a rolling boil, cook the Mee Sua till al dente, then rinse under cold running water until cool to touch. Set aside.
3. Heat about ¼ cup of oil in a large skillet (or wok) with the onions. Stir occasionally and wait till the onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic and hae bee.  This needs to sizzle and cook till you can smell the toasted garlic and hae bee. 
4. Add the carrots and stir fry till softened. Add fresh baby shrimp and the napa cabbage. Toss everything until its evenly coated with the onion/garlic mix.
5. Deglaze the pan with about 2-3 Tbsp of Shaoxing wine. Add white pepper to taste.
6. Add the Mee Sua. If it starts to look dry, add the dried shrimp and mushroom water and work to toss the noodles evenly in the mix.
7. Plate -up and garnish as needed. Enjoy!