Fish ball Noodles

One of the more famous Malaysian hawker food dishes that seems to slip through the cracks would be Fish ball Noodles. You might find it strange and ask what fish balls really are. It is in actual fact, fish meat blended into a paste, mixed with some other ingredients and then formed into balls. A staple dish amongst the Chinese Hawkers in Malaysia, you would see different versions of this dish in various parts of Malaysia. Here is my version of it:

 

Ingredients:

8                   whole fish balls

1 tbsp           dried prawns - soaked in hot water

1 - 2             medium sized bunch of pak choy or mustard leaves

1/2 cube       instant vegetable stock

1 serving       crispy egg noodle - softened

1 round        chilli oil

1 round        soy sauce

a dash of      white pepper

1 bowl         water

Method:

1. Bring out a sizable soup pot. Place soaked dried prawns into pot and stir till water dries up. Then add in a tbsp of vegetable oil. Fry till fragrant before adding in the water. Bring to boil.
2. When water is reaching boiling point, add the instant vegetable stock cube. Make sure cube breaks down into water before adding in fish balls. Continue boiling. Bring to a simmer when water starts boiling.
3. In a separate pot, boil some water, add in some oil and salt. When water is boiling, add in portion of egg noodles to soften. Cook for about 2 - 3 minutes or until soft, remove and strain through a sieve. Wash under cold water to stop the cooking process. Place in bowl.
4. Wash vegetables to remove any excess dirt. Drain excess water. Then precook vegetables by blanching them in the soup. Remove and place on top of noodles.
5. Before serving, add in soy sauce, pepper and the chilli oil to add colour.
6. Ladle out fish balls onto noodles and then add soup to desired amount.
7. Serve with either sliced chillies in soy sauce or home made sambal belacan.

If you don't have fish balls, you can use sliced fish cake, precooked chicken breast or even sliced pork. The recipe is mighty flexible. If don't want to have the chilli oil, omit it. If you want it spicier, then add in the chilli during the frying process.

It served my soup craving as well as taking me back to having a hawker food back home,

The Innovative Baker