MEE Kolok or kolo mee is certainly one of Sarawak’s iconic dishes, received further fame when Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mentioned Restoran Mee Kolok Hj Salleh based in Kuching, Sarawak during his recent announcement on the Prihatin Rakyat economic stimulus package for SMEs.
If Sarawak Laksa has been dubbed as “Breakfast of the Gods” then Kolo Mee is another firm favourite among Sarawakians and some even dream of it when far away from home. Many of from the Peninsular have also fallen in love with the taste of Kolo Mee.
This dish of Sarawak dry noodles is tossed with savoury beef or chicken and shallots mixture, topped off with fragrant fried onions and served together with a soup that is made from beef or chicken stock. The noodles is served dry topped with sliced beef or chicken, spring onions and fried shallots.
During this Movement Control Order (MCO), while we might not be able to stop by Haji Salleh’s for his Mee Kolok, why not try this Kolo Mee recipe courtesy of the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB).
MAKE YOUR WON MEE KOLOK
What you need
1 packet of blanched egg noodles or dry noodles
For the soup
500gm of beef, medium cut
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons thick soy sauce
One bowl of sweet soy sauce
Beef stock (from 1 beef stock cube)
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
For garnishing
Chopped spring onions
3–5 shallots, fried and minced
For the sauce
5–7 red chilies, minced (or cili padi for extra kick)
5-7 cloves of garlic , minced
Lime (to taste)
Sugar (to taste)
Cider (to taste)
Method
1. For the soup: Prepare a pot, put in the beef, beef stock cube and water to boil until beef is medium cooked. Add salt, cook for another 5 minutes and put it aside. The soup will be served together with the noodles.
2. For the beef: Take cooked beef and slice it. Add pepper and four table spoons of sweet soy sauce to the beef, mix together. Fry in a pan with a bit of oil, once the pan is hot, put sliced beef, to add flavour, pour a little of the soup to the beef. Fry for 3 -4 minutes, then set aside.
3. For the garlic oil: Prepare a pan, add on oil, garlic then fry it. Once the garlic turns brownish, set it aside and keep the oil for the noodles.
4. For the noodles: Heat a pot of water until boiling. Once water is boiled, add noodles until cooked, strain and set aside. Use the garlic oil pan, once it is hot, transfer the boiled noodles to the pan. Add on thick soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and pepper, mix it together.
5. For the sauce: Put chilies and garlic in a blender, mix and blend together, once it’s done, transfer the ingredients to other bowl, add lime, sugar and a bit of cider.
6. To plate: Put the noodle mixture in a bowl, top it with fried sliced beef, garnish it with fried shallots and spring onions, serve the soup separately in a small bowl, garnish with fried shallots and spring onions.