Mee Ka La (Dried Noodle)

This is one of my all time favorite noodle snack. It is just dried noodle with eggs and dried shrimp and pickle shredded carrot and green papaya. The combination of the vegetable pickle and sweet and sour sauce is very complimentary. And the eggs gives it the creaminess, that just melt in your mouth. Of course, I would have to say that this is a preference dish. It neither you love it or just plain hate it. In a way, you have to enjoy the simple taste in order to enjoy this noodle.

The plus part is that there no cooking require, well maybe just a little on the eggs part. In my opinions, the taste is all about preference. If you like simple yet tasty dishes, then this one might just do it for you. Now if you like noodle soup and more fancy type dishes, then this one might just be too simple for you. This is what you would call a poor man noodle or country noodle in the native South East Asia, mainly Cambodia.



Ingredients:

6 Eggs, cook and sliced into four pieces
Dark soy sauce
½ Cup dried shrimp, grind
2 Tbsp preserved turnip (in a plastic or ceramic jar for noodle soup)
Bean sprouts
Cilantro
Chopped peanuts (optional)
A couple dash of white pepper
Hot chilies paste sauce
1 Bag fresh noodle

Garlic oil:

2 Garlic gloves, minced
3 Tbsp of vegetable oil

Pickle Vegetable:

1 Tbsp of vinegar
¼ Cup water
3 Tbsp of fish sauce
3 Carrot, shredded
1 Cup papaya, shredded
1 Cucumber cut into small pieces.

* Place the cucumber and shredded carrot and papaya in a plastic container and pour the vinegar, water, fish sauce and set in refrigerator a day or two in advance.

Sauce:

2 Garlic glove, minced
2 Tbsp sugar
½ Tsp salt
½ Cup water
1/4 Cup of fish sauce
1 Tbsp of vinegar

Methods:

1. Prepare pickle overnight.
2. Making the garlic oil, by bring the oil to hot and add the minced garlic until amber.
3. The next day, prepared the garnish by boiling the eggs and then cutting into small pieces.
4. Next grind the dried shrimp into small flakes.
5. Then make the sauce by bringing the water to boil.
6. Add the minced garlic, fish sauce, sugar and vinegar. When it shimmer pull away from the heat and set aside.
7. To make the noodle. In a noodle strainer, place the noodle over hot boiling water for 5 seconds.
8. Pull out of the pot and let it drip until dry. Place in a serving bowl and add the garlic oil to prevent it from sticking together. Add a dash of dark soy sauce for coloring and mix well.
9. Now add all garnish such egg, bean sprout, preserved turnip, pickle vegetable and dried shrimp.
10. Lastly, top it off with a couple of spoon of the sauce or to desire taste. Enjoy!