Spicy Aceh-Style Noodle Soup with Beef and Shrimp

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A signature noodle dish from the northwestern Indonesian province of Aceh, this hearty soup combines thick yellow wheat noodles in a richly spiced, curry-tinged broth with tender beef, shrimp, and bean sprouts. The broth is bold and aromatic, layered with cumin, coriander, cardamom, and fresh chilies, then finished with fried shallots, scallions, lime, and crisp melinjo crackers for an unmistakable Acehnese character.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 585 kcalCalories
• 18 gFat
• 4 gSaturated Fat
• 68 gCarbs
• 6 gFiber
• 9 gSugar
• 38 gProtein
• 1280 mgSodium
• 820 mgPotassium
• 160 mgCalcium
• 6 mgIron
• 38 mgVitamin C
• 180 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the spice paste (bumbu)

• 6 large red cayenne chilies, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 8 shallots (about 120 g), peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the broth and protein

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 7 cm)
• 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 300 g (about 10.5 oz) beef sirloin, thinly sliced across the grain
• 200 g (about 7 oz) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on if desired
• 2.5 liters (about 10 cups) beef or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt, to taste

For the noodles and vegetables

• 400 g (about 14 oz) fresh thick yellow wheat noodles (mie kuning), or 250 g dried thick egg noodles
• 150 g (about 5 oz) bean sprouts, rinsed
• 100 g (about 3.5 oz) bok choy or choy sum, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

For garnish

• 3 tablespoons crispy fried shallots
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons emping/melinjo crackers or shrimp crackers
• 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons sambal cabe rawit (optional, for extra heat)

Directions

1. Make the spice paste: combine the chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, ground coriander, cumin, fennel, turmeric, curry powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to a coarse, slightly wet paste, scraping the sides as needed; add 1-2 tablespoons of water if it sticks.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, and star anise and toast for 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 6-8 minutes until it darkens to a deep brick red and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
3. Add the sliced beef to the pot and stir to coat in the paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the beef just loses its raw color. Pour in the stock, add the kecap manis, fish sauce, and sugar, and bring to a vigorous boil.
4. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook, partially covered, for 18-20 minutes until the beef is fork-tender. Taste and adjust with salt.
5. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Blanch the noodles for 1-2 minutes (or per package directions) until just tender, then drain and divide among 4 large deep bowls. Top with the bean sprouts, bok choy, and celery; the hot broth will wilt them.
6. Add the shrimp to the simmering broth and cook for 90 seconds until just pink and opaque. Ladle the hot broth, beef, and shrimp over the noodles and vegetables in each bowl.
7. Scatter the sliced scallions over each bowl and finish with a generous spoonful of fried shallots, a wedge of lime, a small handful of cilantro, a side of emping crackers, and sambal if desired. Serve immediately while piping hot.

Cook’s Notes

• For a dry (fried) version, drain the noodles after blanching, then stir-fry them in the spice paste with 60-80 ml of the broth until the liquid is absorbed; serve topped with a small bowl of broth on the side.
• Mie Aceh is traditionally cooked with cuttlefish (sotong) instead of or in addition to shrimp; if using, score and tenderize 200 g cleaned cuttlefish and add it to the broth for the last 2 minutes.
• If fresh yellow noodles are unavailable, substitute with 250 g dried thick egg noodles or even 250 g rice vermicelli, adjusting blanching time accordingly.
• Toast whole cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds and grind them yourself for noticeably deeper, more aromatic broth.
• Build the sambal heat to taste: remove the chilies' seeds for a milder broth, or add 1-2 extra cayenne chilies if you want the soup to be aggressively spicy.

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