Koay Teow Bandung

Today the wife and I are at a loss as to what to prepare for lunch because after many days of planning the daily menus together, we have finally come to a mental block.  The theme as I suggested in yesterday's entry is that our meals should be light which means no coconut milk and with that in mind, we eventually decided on Koay Teow Bandung.

Don't ask me why it is called Koay Teow Bandung (of course other than Koay Teow, you can also use noodles or vermicelli)  I am happy to concede if this dish did originate from a town in Indonesia but I very much doubt so.  Anyway, where ever the origin, food, like songs, is something universal and it just so happens that we love this dish (occasionally anyway!) including our daughter!  Every one has his or her own twist to this recipe but here's ours!

1kg flat noodles (koay teow)

250g chicken, cubed, (I prefer thigh meat)

20 fish balls

3 pieces fish cakes

4 tbs chili paste (I make my own)

5 shallots, pounded

5 cloves garlic, pounded

1 thumb-size ginger, pounded

1/2 cup dried shrimp, pounded (I used 'udang gragau')

1 cup tomato ketchup

6 -7 stalks mustard leaves, cut into 1 inch lengths

2 eggs 

2 liters stock (I used chicken)

some oil and salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and saute the garlic, shallots, ginger, chili paste and dried shrimp.  When the paste is cooked ( you know this when the oil floats to the top!)  Stir in the chicken pieces, fish balls and fish cakes.  Leave to cook for about 5 minutes before adding the tomato ketchup and the stock.  Season to taste.  Let this boil for another five minutes, then add the mustard leaves.  Just before turning off the flame, crack in the eggs and cover the pot.

To serve, put into a bowl some koay teow and ladle onto it as much gravy as you want.  Garnish with slivers of spring onions, sliced fried tofu and shallot crisps.