Malay Spiced Noodle Soup with Sweet Potato Gravy

Mee Rebus is a beloved Malaysian street-food classic featuring springy yellow egg noodles bathed in a thick, savory-sweet gravy thickened with sweet potato and enlivened by a warm spice paste. Topped with a soft-boiled egg, fried tofu, bean sprouts, and a squeeze of lime, it delivers deep comfort in every bowl.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 560 kcalCalories
• 18 gFat
• 3 gSaturated Fat
• 78 gCarbs
• 7 gFiber
• 12 gSugar
• 24 gProtein
• 820 mgSodium
• 780 mgPotassium
• 160 mgCalcium
• 5.5 mgIron
• 18 mgVitamin C
• 290 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the spice paste

• 6 shallots, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
• 1 tbsp dried shrimp paste (belacan), toasted
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

For the gravy

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large sweet potato (about 300 g), peeled and cubed
• 4 cups water or low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

For the noodles and toppings

• 500 g fresh yellow egg noodles
• 200 g firm tofu, cubed and fried until golden
• 2 cups bean sprouts, blanched
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Sambal chili paste, to serve

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the yellow noodles for 1-2 minutes until just loosened and slippery, then drain and divide among 4 deep bowls. Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, candlenuts, toasted shrimp paste, ground coriander, cumin, and turmeric with 3 tablespoons of water until a smooth paste forms.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the spice paste and fry for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant, darker, and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
4. Add the cubed sweet potato, chicken stock, tomato paste, palm sugar, sweet soy sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potato is completely tender.
5. Remove about a third of the sweet potato chunks with a slotted spoon and mash them, then return to the pot and stir well; this thickens the gravy naturally. Simmer another 3 minutes until the gravy coats the back of a spoon; adjust seasoning.
6. Ladle the hot sweet potato gravy generously over the noodles, making sure each bowl gets plenty of sauce and a few chunks of sweet potato.
7. Top each bowl with fried tofu, blanched bean sprouts, halved boiled egg, sliced spring onions, and a wedge of lime. Serve immediately with sambal chili paste on the side.

Cook’s Notes

• Toasting the belacan over an open flame for 30 seconds before blending gives the gravy a deeper, smokier aroma that defines authentic Mee Rebus.
• If the gravy thins out as it sits, mash a little extra sweet potato into it or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water).
• Fried firm tofu puffs (tauhu pok) are more traditional than pan-fried tofu cubes and soak up the gravy beautifully.
• For a richer gravy, simmer with a small chicken frame or a strip of pork belly alongside the sweet potato, then remove before serving.
• Adjust the heat by adding more or less sambal on the side rather than spiking the gravy, so the sweet-spicy balance stays intact.

More Malaysia Recipes You’ll Love

Craving more flavors from Malaysia? Try these traditional recipes:

• Malaysian Coconut Rice with Sambal and Crispy Anchovies
• Char Kway Teow Stir-Fried Flat Noodles
• Malaysian Curry Laksa Noodle Soup with Coconut and Prawns

You might also like

Asian

Penang Hokkien Char Noodles

Asian

Penang Indian Mixed Curry Rice Stir-Fry

Asian

Malaysian Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls with Shrimp and Sweet Soy Sauce

Asian

Malaysian Chinese Braised Pork in Spicy Red Chili Sauce