MIE ACEH
INDONESIA
I visited Banda Aceh, the capital of the province of Aceh in Indonesia, during Ramadan, which was great on the one hand and not so on the other. Great because every afternoon takjil (Ramadan snacks) vendors would line designated streets to sell a whole range of snacks and drinks that people bought to break their fasts. Breaking the fast in Indonesia is called buka puasa or “opening the fast”—and unlike other Muslim countries that favor breaking the fast with dates or soup such as harira (Moroccan Chickpea and Lamb Soup), Indonesians like sweet or savory snacks that they buy from vendors or caterers rather than making them at home. Almost all the markets I went to were heaving with people buying either takjil or ready-made dishes to take home to break their fasts. Also, the restaurants I went to were absolutely packed for both buka puasa as well as later into the night. There was one amazing café that had excellent coffee—Indonesia is a country of serious coffee drinkers—and a noodle vendor stationed outside taking orders for noodles that he then sent to the tables. You could order the noodles with shrimp or crab and it was where I had the following recipe with crab. The version I give here is made with shrimp as it is simpler to prepare at home.
SERVES 4 TO 6
FOR THE CHILI PASTE
5 small shallots (3½ ounces/100 g total), peeled
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 fresh mild red chilies, seeded
½ inch (1 cm) fresh turmeric, peeled
Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
FOR THE NOODLES
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 ounces (150 g) peeled shrimp
1 medium tomato (3½ ounces/100 g), seeded and cut into ⅓-inch (1 cm) cubes
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock (homemade or using organic bouillon cubes)
1 small leek, thinly sliced
2 inches (5 cm) celery heart, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Sea salt
3½ ounces (100 g) cabbage, thinly sliced
2 ounces (60 g) bean sprouts
14 ounces (400 g) fresh yellow noodles
2 tablespoons soy sauce
FOR THE GARNISH
Shrimp crackers
Pickled cucumber
1. To make the chili paste: Put all the ingredients for the chili paste in a food processor or spice grinder and process until you have a fine paste. In Indonesia, cooks grind everything in a wide stone or earthenware mortar using a horizontal pestle that they roll over the ingredients to grind them (rather than beating down on them as in a bowl-style mortar).
2. To make the noodles: Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the chili paste. Sauté until fragrant. Add the shrimp and tomato and sauté for a couple more minutes.
3. Add the stock, leek, celery, and vinegar and season with a little salt. Let the stock bubble, stirring very regularly, until reduced by half, about 1 hour.
4. Add the cabbage and bean sprouts and cook for a couple more minutes before adding the noodles and soy sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until both vegetables and noodles are done, a couple more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with shrimp crackers and pickled cucumber.
