Mee rebus is a Malaysian dish consisting of egg noodles in a sweet and spicy potato-thickened gravy, garnished with lime, chilies, bean sprouts, and hard-boiled eggs. It was likely spread by Indian traders and is also popular in Singapore. Variations exist in other countries, such as Indonesia’s mee jawa.
Mee rebus is a dish found in Malaysia that comprises egg noodles covered in a gravy that has been thickened with potatoes. The gravy is sweet and spicy with a slight acidity. The dish has a number of side dishes, including limes, chiles, bean sprouts, and hard-boiled eggs. While the origins are uncertain, some believe it was first created in the northern areas of Malaysia and then brought south by Indian traders. There are variations of mee rebus in other countries of the region, some of which are very different in some respects.
It is thought that the dish originally spread throughout Malaysia as it was made, eaten and sold by Indian traders who moved across the country. Eventually, street vendors began selling food from two pots they carried with them. They would have mee rebus ordered when someone wanted it. As time went on, fewer street vendors carried the meal and moved to restaurants in Singapore where it remains popular.
The basic part of mee rebus is egg noodles, which is what the word “mee” means. These are blanched quickly to cook them. Noodles are also used in other Malaysian dishes, such as hokkien mee, in which they are fried rather than blanched.
The sauce that dresses the egg noodles is made from beef broth, shallots, turmeric, coriander and peanuts. It is thickened by mashing potatoes and releasing the starches. Sweet potatoes were originally used to thicken gravy, but any type of potato could be used in modern kitchens.
Once the noodles and sauce are combined, the dish is garnished. Mee rebus has a wide range of side dishes. The dish is decorated with limes, fried tofu, bean sprouts, chillies and shallots. It is also traditional to place prawns or squid on the plate. All of these can be arranged around the outside of the noodles or mixed into the gravy.
In Indonesia there is a variant called mee jawa which is both similar to and different from mee rebus. It is essentially a soup made with egg noodles. It does not contain potatoes and the sauce is not thickened. It incorporates several items, such as tomatoes, prawns, fish balls, and cabbage, but keeps the mee rebus’ large selection of side dishes. The taste of mee jawa is markedly different, but the dish itself shares some key elements with mee rebus.
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