How to cook Mee Rebus

Mee Rebus

Mee Rebus (literally boiled noodles in English) is popular in Singapore and Malaysia. The best of “Mee Rebus” can be found among the stalls in Geylang Serai market hawker canter. The dish is made of yellow egg noodles, which are also used in Hokkien mee, with a spicy slightly sweet curry-like gravy. The thick gravy is made from potatoes, curry powder, water, salted soya beans, dried shrimps, and peanuts.

Mee Rebus is garnished with a hard boiled egg, calamansi limes, spring onions, Chinese celery, green chillies, fried firm tofu (tau kwa), fried shallots and bean sprouts. Some eateries serve it with beef or mutton, though rarely found in hawker centres, or add dark soya sauce to the noodles when served. The dish also goes well with Satay.

Recipe for Mee Rebus

Ingredients for Mee Rebus:

  • 125 ml / 4 fl oz Vegetable Oil
  • 15 Shallots (Red Onions), finely pounded
  • 2 cm / 1 inch fresh Ginger,
  • 6 Garlic cloves, finely pounded
  • 5 small packets Meat Curry Powder
  • 1 kg / 2 pounds 3 oz Beef, cubed, include bones and fatty meat
  • 4 Tbsp / 2 fl oz fermented Soy Bean Paste (Taucu or Tao-cheo)
  • 4 ripe Tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 4 ripe Tomatoes, cubed
  • 4 cm / 2 inches Galangal (Lengkuas or Blue Ginger), lightly bruised
  • 2 kg / 4 pounds 6 oz Sweet Potatoes, boiled until soft and mashed until smooth
  • 2 kg / 4 pounds 6 oz Potatoes, boiled until soft and mashed until smooth
  • 2 cups / 9 oz roasted Pounded Peanut
  • Water (as much as is required to make the gravy)

Mee Rebus Garnishing:

  • 3 Kg / 6 Pounds 9 oz Yellow Egg Noodles (Hokkien Noodles, Mee Kuning)
  • 250 g Bean Sprout (Tauge),blanched
  • 4 blocks Bean Curd (Tofu, Tauhu),fried and cut into small cubes
  • 4 hard-boiled Eggs – halved
  • 6 Coriander (Cilantro, Chinese Parsley or Ketumbar), finely chopped
  • 6 Spring Onion (Scallions), finely chopped
  • 1 cup / 4 ½ oz crisp-fried Shallots (Bawang Goreng)
  • 10 Calamansi Lime (Limau Kasturi)
  • 6 Green Chilies, sliced thinly

Paste Ingredients to be finely ground:

  • 15 Shallots (Red Onion), finely pounded
  • 6 Garlic cloves, finely pounded
  • 2 cm / 1 inch fresh Ginger
  • Water

How to Cook Mee Rebus:

  1. Heat Vegetable Oil in a pot and stir fry the Paste, till light brown.
  2. Add in Meat Curry Powder Paste, mix well, and then add in the Beef. Render all ingredients in pot well.
  3. Add in fermented Soy Bean Paste (Taucu or Tao-cheo), and saute the Beef until the oil begins to surface.
  4. Add in water, Cubed Tomatoes, Galangal, Mashed Potatoes, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Stir until the Mashed Potatoes and Mashed Sweet Potatoes dissolve into soup.
  5. Add in Celery, Toasted Pounded Peanuts, and Tomato. Stir evenly and let simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the gravy thickens and meat becomes tender.

Note: If gravy is not thickening, add in some cornstarch to thicken it. Mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch and mix them thoroughly with some water, and pour into the gravy. Serve gravy with the Garnishing Ingredients.

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  1. Divi

    I will be trying this tonight. 🙂

    Reply
  2. ramli

    if i eat mee rebus, i will ask for lots of taugeh and green chillies. i would prefer sunny egg instead of the hard boiled egg.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    This dish was fantastic. I can’t speak to its authenticity, but it was delicious and that’s pretty much what counts for me. I found the spiciness just right and I think it clearly lends itself well to variation, which is always nice. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Zee

    ooh this looks yummy! love the fact that there are so much tau gay in your mee rebus 🙂

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    We loved this recipe!!! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Singapore Local Favourites

    You are wellcome. Serve hot and add lots of chopped green chillies for the extra "kick" if you dare!

    Reply
  7. Singapore Local Favourites

    So deserving isn’t it? 🙂

    Reply
  8. Singapore Local Favourites

    Thanks to Chef Wan. I think this version of mee rebus is authentic and tasty.

    Reply
  9. Singapore Local Favourites

    Happy cooking!

    Reply
  10. Zhong Guo

    Instead of beef, can I use Pork?

    Reply
  11. Singapore Local Favourites

    Hi Zhong Guo, traditionally Mee Rebus is a popular Malay culinary creation which uses shrimp, mutton or beef for the curry base. This recipe doesn’t use pork.

    Reply
  12. Anonymous

    anyone managed to cook this mee rubus successfully? I am looking for someone whom is willing to teach how to cook it so that I can start a small business with it.

    Do email me at bpchew@singnet.com.sg if there is any kind soul that is willing to help.

    Reply
  13. Anonymous

    Hi, how much is 5 small packs of curry powder in gms?

    Reply
  14. Anonymous

    Are there supposed to be dried shrimps in this recipe. You’ve talked about it in the introduction, but it is not in the ingredient list or the directions. And how much is 5 small paks of curry powder in gms?

    Reply
  15. VIDA VIDA

    I am gonna try this tomorrow
    Thank you for the recipe It’s look really yummy ^_^

    Reply
  16. Anonymous

    Can you make the mee rebus stock ahead of time and re-heat on the actual day you want to eat it? Also, how many servings does the recipe call for?

    Reply
  17. Nadya Aydan

    Salaam sis, do you hv any vidz at youtube pls give me ur link….

    Love from Sydney
    Nadya

    Reply
  18. Maha Lakshmi

    Nice post. Thanks for sharing this post.
    Catering Services in West Mambalam

    Reply