Mee Grob (Crispy Noodles)

Mee Grob or Mi Krob, depending on what spelling variation is used is somewhat unknown here in the UK though it’s fairly common in the US as a take-out/ restaurant dish and may be recognisable from being mentioned in The Big Bang Theory and South Park (with varying degrees of popularity).

It does take a bit of prep time and you need to have everything ready to do the bit at the end or you can end up with soggy noodles if you wait too long but I’m sure you’ll do just fine.

Mee grob is predominantly sweet and sour, with this version nudging slightly more towards sour, which is my preference; feel free to adjust the sauce quantities to your taste.

For two people use:

• two nest of or a small packet of vermicelli rice noodles


• 5 spring onion, trimmed and shredded lengthways


• a handful of very fresh bean sprouts


• half a packet of firm tofu, cut in cubes


• 5 shallots, thinly sliced in rings


• a small handful of coriander leaves


• a big handful of prawns/shrimp (raw or cooked)


• vegetable oil for frying/deep frying


• 3 small red chillies, cut into thin strips


• 2 tablespoons of tamarind puree


• a big splash of yellow bean sauce


• a big splash of fish sauce


• juice of 1 lime


• 3 cloves garlic,chopped


• a heaped tablespoon of sugar


• a big pinch of pepper

Start by making the sauce, which can then be left until the very end. Gently heat together the tamarind, yellow bean sauce, fish sauce,lime juice, sugar, pepper and chopped garlic and let it reduce until its quite thick and syrupy.

In a wok, heat a small splash of oil. When hot, fry the prawns/shrimp until pink (if raw) and for about a minute (if they were pre cooked). Leave these on the side.

Fill up the wok with oil for deep frying. When the oil’s hot, add in the tofu and deep fry until the tofu is golden and crispy. Fish it out and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Now deep fry the shallot rings, for around 2-3 minutes, again until they’re golden and crisp and leave them to blot on kitchen paper as well.

Now the fun bit (have more kitchen paper out ready on a plate).Heat the sauce up again and keep it nearby. Get the deep frying oil very hot again and when ready, put the whole nest/slab of dried vermicelli noodles in the hot oil. It should immediately puff up about 3 times in size. Lift out after a few seconds and straight onto the kitchen paper. Repeat if you have more noodles to do.

Work quickly, pour the sauce and the fried noodles into another clean, dry wok or large pan and use a chopping/stirring action to break up and mix the noodles and sauce together. Add the cooked prawns back in and stir well.

Serve on a plate with the coriander, crispy tofu, fried shallots, spring onions, bean sprouts and sprinkle over the chilli strips.