Penang Prawn Noodle (Har Mee)

Penang Prawn Noodle (Har Mee) by  Natasha Lim:

I bought Delimas Penang Prawn Noodle Paste from AsianSupermarket365 quite some time ago. This online grocery store is truly my grocery shopping haven. I couldn't have satisfied my simple cravings from Curry Laksa to Kaya Toast of which I was so close to attempting at making the Homemade Kaya myself but then I decided to purchase Yeo’s Kaya (Coconut Jam). The truth is, I knew that I couldn't last more than an hour or so, standing near the stove to stir the Kaya spread. Besides being so easily obtainable, it's only at $3.99 that could last me awhile. The Kaya Toast tasted so similar to what we have back in the Kopitiam-s in Malaysia. Definitely worth a try, guys!

Sorry, I just had to sing praises of that Kaya for quite some time now. I would have founded a fan club of it if I could. Anyway, recently here in Florida, the weather has been going through some bipolar changes from hot and scorching day turning into gloom and storms. So, it was rather chilly at home that I decided to whip up something hot and soupy. What more better ways than to make my day with Prawn Noodle soup. =)

Ingredients:
1.5 lb prawn heads, de-shelled and deveined prawns
Prima Taste Yellow Noodles/ Wai Wai Rice Vermicelli
1/2 lb of water spinach or better known as Kangkung
3 hard boiled eggs (cut into quarters)
Fishcakes/Fishballs
Fried Shallots
Shallot Oil
Crispy Prawn Chili(optional)
Prawn Noodle Paste
Cooking Oil
1.5 liters of anchovies broth

Method:
1. For starters, fry the prawn heads with 1.5 tbsp Cooking Oil until the oil surges. Pour in the Prawn Noodle Paste and stir fry for about 1-2 minutes. Add 1.5 liter of anchovies broth and let it boil.

2. On a separate pot of water, blanch the noodles, water spinach (Kangkung), fishcakes/fish balls accordingly and strain them. Set them aside.

3. When the broth is ready, turn off the stove and strain the prawn heads to discard them. To serve, pour a ladle or two of the broth into the blanched noodles from earlier on. Garnish with hard boiled eggs, fried shallots, fish cakes and water spinach (Kangkung). You may indulge in the Prawn Noodle with the Crispy Prawn Chili for an extra kick of spiciness! Enjoy!=)

Indo Mie Dry Instant Noodles (Mi Goreng)

Indo Mie Dry Instant Noodles (Mi Goreng) by Zahra Kamilla:

As I am an Indonesian, when I went off to college, I brought a few cartons of these Indonesian Instant noodles and stored it in my dorm room. When my friends came to visit me, I cooked them these noodles. At first they were hesitant because they were going to eat an instant noodle without water/soup because that’s what they were used to. However, after they ate it, they said that this was the best instant noodle they’ve ever tasted in their life. When I was going to restock on my instant noodles, each of my friends who’ve tried it asked me to buy them a carton each. If you haven’t tried this instant noodles before, I suggest you try it because you will love it too.

Indomie Goreng Pedas is a famous ‘fried (goreng)’ and ‘spicy (pedas)’ instant noodles that come from Indonesia. It is called fried noodles because it is eaten without the soup. It has a sweet, salty, and spicy (if preferred) taste to it. It is also very tasty and easy to make. First, you boil water in a pot. After the water boils, you put the noodles in the pot for 2-3 minutes or until the texture is just about right (not too hard not too soft depends on your preference).I personally like the noodles a little bit hard and I hate it when it is too soft (overcooked) because it becomes gooey. After the noodles are cooked, you drain the water, usually by using a sieve. After that, put the noodles in a plate and add the seasonings that come in the package. The seasonings include Indonesian sweet soy sauce, chili powder, hot sauce, seasoning oil, and the flavoring (with MSG). Voilà, your Indonesian noodles are ready to be eaten.Also, you can add an over-easy egg and vegetables on your plate to make it even tastier (like the one in the picture). You can eat this Indonesian instant noodles as a meal or as a snack. For me, eating one of this ramen is not enough. I always make two at a time. There are also many other Indomie Goreng flavors that you can try, such as Satay, BBQ, Rendang, etc., but I personally preferred the Pedas (spicy) one.

P.s. since it is near Halloween, I tried to decorate my plate like a cute little ghost with the egg as the head and the noodles as the body. Happy Halloween!