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Recipe

Vegan Mee Rebus (Malay Noodles in Sweet Potato Gravy)

5 from 1 vote
Author: Thomas Pagot
Mee Rebus is a classic Malaysian/Singaporean dish made up of noodles served in a rich and flavorful sweet potato gravy! This vegan version is satisfying, comforting, and loaded with tasty toppings such as fried onions, bean sprouts, chili slices, and fresh herbs!
Prep Time : 45 minutes
Cook Time : 40 minutes
Total Time : 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 472 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 18 ounces)
  • 3 cups water

Aromatic Paste

  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 4 shallots
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 1 inch fresh galangal
  • 1 lemongrass stalk
  • 1/4 cup water

Gravy

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp meat curry powder
  • 1 tbsp fermented soybeans paste
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt adjust to taste

Toppings

  • 7 ounces thick yellow noodles
  • 1/4 cup fried onions
  • chopped cilantro and scallions
  • fresh mung bean sprouts
  • lime juice
  • sliced fried tofu or Youtiao

Instructions
 

Cook the potatoes

  • Peel and dice the potatoes. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes using a potato peeler. Next, dice the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, carefully add the diced sweet potatoes and boil them for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, drain the sweet potatoes using a colander.
  • Blend. Transfer the drained potatoes to a high-speed blender and add the 3 cups of water. Blend for 10-15 seconds or until smooth. You should end up with the consistency of a smoothie. Set aside.

Aromatic Paste

  • Slice the aromatics. Peel and slice the garlic, shallots, ginger, and galangal. Slice the white part of the lemongrass stalk into 1-inch slices. Transfer all of the aromatics to a high-speed blender.
  • Blend into a purée. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the blender and blend for 10-15 seconds or until it forms a smooth paste.

Gravy

  • Sauté the aromatic paste. Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep pot or Dutch oven. Once hot, add the aromatic paste and fry it for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly, until it appears dryer. The oil should also start to separate from the paste.
  • Add the curry powder. Next, add the curry powder and stir to combine it with the paste. Cook for another 2 minutes. At this point, you can add some chili powder of ground dried chilies if you want some heat.
  • Add the fermented bean paste and seasonings. To the pot, add the fermented bean paste, sugar, and salt.
  • Pour in the blended sweet potatoes. Pour the blended sweet potato sauce into the pot and stir to combine with the aromatics. Finally, let the gravy simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your liking, and keep it warm while preparing the noodles and add-ins.

To Assemble

  • Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles and divide them between serving bowls.
  • Pour in the gravy. Pour a generous ladle of piping hot sweet potato gravy into each bowl.
  • Garnish. Finally, before serving, garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of fried onions, sliced fried tofu or Youtiao, some chopped cilantro and scallions, and a few chili slices. Add a squeeze of lime as well.
  • Enjoy! Using chopsticks, give it a good stir to allow the fried onions and fresh herbs to infuse the gravy before eating.
  • You can keep the sweet potato gravy in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • Adjust the thickness of the gravy. Depending on how thick you prefer the gravy, you can adjust its consistency by using more or less water. Do not forget to adjust the salt and sugar accordingly.
  • Use meat curry powder. For the most authentic flavor, I highly recommend getting your hands on Malaysian meat curry powder. Other types of curry powders obviously work but will alter the dish's overall flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 472 kcal | Carbohydrates: 87.1 g | Protein: 10.1 g | Fat: 10.9 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Sodium: 1754 mg | Potassium: 1228 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 8 g | Calcium: 58 mg | Iron: 3 mg
Course : Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine : Asian, Malaysian
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