Khua Mee

Ingredients

Noodles

• 400 gdried rice noodles
• flat or thin
• warm water, for soaking

The caramel

• 100 gpalm sugar
• or dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoonswater
• 4 tablespoonsdark soy sauce
• 3 tablespoonsfish sauce
• 2 tablespoonsoyster sauce

The pan

• 5 tablespoonsoil
• 6garlic cloves, chopped
• 1onion, sliced
• 200 gpork belly or chicken, sliced
• black pepper

Egg topping

• 3eggs, beaten
• a little oil
• a pinch of salt

To serve

• spring onions, sliced
• coriander
• lime wedges
• fresh chilli

Directions

1. Soak them in warm rather than boiling water. They should soften but stay firm. Put the dried noodles in a large bowl. Cover them over with warm water. Let them soak for about thirty minutes. Judging the soak takes a test.
2. Lift out one strand and bend it over. It should be pliable but still firm. Drain them thoroughly when they reach that. Wet noodles dilute the caramel sauce. Drain them well and shake them dry. Let them sit in the colander a while. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
3. Heat a little oil in a wide pan. Pour in a very thin layer of egg. Swirl it round to cover the base. Cook it for about a full minute. The omelette should be very thin indeed. Turn it out and repeat with the rest. Let the sheets cool down a little. Roll each of the sheets up loosely.
4. Slice it across into thin strips. Making the caramel takes attention. Put the palm sugar and water in the wok. Warm it until the sugar dissolves. It turns golden and then amber.
5. Take it to a medium amber colour. It should smell nutty rather than burnt. Stand back and add the sauces carefully. Pour in the soy, fish and oyster sauces. Stir it until it dissolves again. Tip it into a bowl and set it aside.
6. Add the chopped garlic to the wok. Fry it for thirty seconds only. Add the sliced onion and the meat. Fry it hard for about five minutes. It should be cooked and lightly browned. Add the drained noodles to the wok. Toss them through the meat and oil.
7. Let them heat through for a minute. Pour the caramel sauce over the noodles. Toss everything together hard and fast. Use two spatulas or tongs to lift them. Every strand should take the colour. Keep lifting and turning them. Do not stir them like a sauce. Let them fry for about four minutes.
8. Keep tossing them throughout that time. Some strands should catch and crisp. Add fish sauce if it is too sweet. Serving it is done immediately. Tip the noodles onto a platter. Pile the omelette strips over the top. Scatter sliced spring onions over it. Add fresh coriander leaves as well. Put fresh chilli on the table. It keeps two days refrigerated.

Technique

• The colour comes from caramelised palm sugar rather than soy sauce alone: soy gives a duller brown, while caramel gives a glossy reddish darkness with a slight bitter edge behind the sweetness, and that combination is what identifies the dish.
• The noodles are soaked in warm water rather than boiled, and should stay pliable with a slight bite so they finish cooking in the wok; fully soft noodles break apart when fried, and wet ones dilute the caramel and steam instead of frying.
• Caramel is far hotter than boiling water, sticks to skin and burns badly, and spits violently when liquid is added; never touch or taste it hot, and stand back when the sauces go in.

Substitutions

• Dark brown sugar stands in for palm sugar in the caramel.
• Chicken, pork or prawns all work as the meat.

Variations

• Some cooks make it entirely without meat.
• The sweetness varies considerably between households.
• The omelette strips are a fixed topping in Luang Prabang.

History

A Luang Prabang celebration dish, its sweet caramel colour distinguishing it from ordinary fried noodles.

Frequently asked questions

What is Khua Mee?

Khua Mee is a main from Laos: rice noodles fried dark with palm sugar and soy, topped with egg strips. A Luang Prabang celebration dish, its sweet caramel colour distinguishing it from ordinary fried noodles.

How long does Khua Mee take to make?

Khua Mee takes 30 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Khua Mee?

Yes, within limits. Dark brown sugar stands in for palm sugar in the caramel. Chicken, pork or prawns all work as the meat.

What is the most important thing to get right in Khua Mee?

Soak them in warm rather than boiling water. They should soften but stay firm. Put the dried noodles in a large bowl. Cover them over with warm water. Let them soak for about thirty minutes. Judging the soak takes a test.