This time, we are taking you back to the most familiar, warmest, and most authentic place—home. The fragrant aroma of Penang Hokkien Mee soup, which begins with the prawn shells, slowly fills the kitchen. This is the true flavour of Penang, and the taste that Ah Cheng’s mother has known all her life. Every step, every gesture, carries the gentle weight of time and tradition. This is more than a meal; it’s a family-secret recipe passed down through generations.
You can switch between Chinese or English 🔊 audio and 🔤 subtitles
~If you like our video, welcome to subscribe our YouTube Channel~
🍤 The Soul of the Penang Hokkien Mee Broth
Authentic Penang Hokkien Mee must start with the prawn shells. Ah Cheng’s mother prefers green-shell prawns, but if unavailable, she uses tiger or fresh prawns—as long as the prawns are fresh, the flavour will be excellent.
The shells are stir-fried over high heat until the aroma intensifies from mild to rich. The moment the scent rises, similar to baked crab, is when the shells are fragrant enough. After cooling, they are pounded into a paste, allowing the prawn essence to infuse the water more quickly. Dried anchovies (Ikan Bilis) are then added to make the seafood flavour more nuanced and clean. A slow, half-hour simmer is the foundation of the entire soup. (Tip: The heat at this stage determines the soup’s ultimate ‘umami’ depth.)
🐷 Depth and Backbone: The Essential Role of Pork Bones
There are no shortcuts to cooking Hokkien Mee soup. The pork bones must be simmered slowly until their flavour is fully released. The longer the time, the richer the soup. This is the simplest logic of the kitchen, and the most reliable flavour.
Pork bones don’t steal the show, but they give the soup its depth. The subtle sweetness of the meat creates harmony between the seafood and the spices. You can choose spare ribs or bone-in pork cuts. We once interviewed a Muslim Penang Prawn Noodle vendor who used chicken bones, and the flavour was equally delicious.
🧅 The Magic of Layers: Shallot Oil and Dried Shrimp Essence
Shallots are slowly fried in lard until fragrant, and adding crushed dried shrimp immediately elevates the aroma. This layer of flavour is not strong or aggressive, but brings a sense of familiar comfort to the broth—it is the soft soul of a bowl of Penang Hokkien Mee.
🌶️ The Character of Penang Hokkien Mee: Chili Oil and Spice
The chili paste is gently fried over low heat until it is glossy, deeply red, and richly fragrant. This is the most iconic characteristic of Penang Prawn Noodle. It needs to be spicy, thick, and aromatic, and everyone can deepen this flavour according to their preference.
🏆 Family Secret: The Two-Stage Simmer for Clarity and Depth
To truly capture the authentic Penang Flavour , Ah Cheng’s mother’s two-stage simmering method is key:
- Stage One: Only simmer the prawn shells and anchovies to obtain the purest seafood base.
- Stage Two: Add the pork bones, jicama (Sengkuang), dried scallops, and dried flounder powder to make the umami flavour more robust and steady.
Simmering in two stages may seem complicated, but it helps reduce fishiness and ensures the soup remains clean while maintaining its depth.
🥢 Toppings: Completing the Family Recipe
The chicken breast is lightly seasoned with salt, poached in the boiling soup, and shredded once cooled. Simple, yet it completes the whole bowl of noodles. Crunchy bean sprouts, sweet water spinach (Kangkong), tender chicken shreds, and fresh prawns are added. You can also add your favourite meatballs, pork ribs, or roasted pork belly.
🧡 Conclusion: This Penang Heritage Flavour is Nostalgia and Legacy
The rice vermicelli and yellow noodles, warmed by the steam, are drenched in the rich Hokkien Mee soup, topped with shredded chicken, half a boiled egg, prawns, and crispy shallot oil. The ladle of red chili oil descends, and the whole bowl instantly brightens.
The beauty of Penang Hokkien Mee is exactly this—the ingredients are not extravagant, but the aroma and warmth instantly touch your heart. This bowl contains no luxurious ingredients, but it holds the most precious things: the taste of home, a mother’s touch, and the shadow of Penang. No matter how far we travel, a familiar, fragrant pot of soup can always bring the heart home.
You might also like the traditional Yen’s family recipe Pork Leg Vinegar
Penang Hokkien Mee/Prawn Noodle
Please Click 1-5 Star to Rate This Recipe
Print Pin Comment & RateINGREDIENTS
🍲Soup Base
- 300 g Prawn Shells
- 150 g Pork Bones
- 70 g Jicama Peeled
- 1 tbsp Flounder Fish Powder
- 15 g Anchovies
- 2 liters Water
- 7 g Dried Scallops
🧂Seasoning
- 25 g Rock Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
🧅Fried Shallot and Shrimp Oil
- 25 g Shallot Slices
- 10 g Crushed Dried Shrimp
- 3 tbsp Lard
🌶️Fried Chili Paste
- 25 g Chili Paste
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Lard
🍤Fried Prawn
- 300 g Prawn Meat
- 1 tsp Sautéed Chili Paste
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lard
🍜 Toppings (adjust quantities to taste)
- Bean Sprouts
- Water Spinach
- Egg
- Chicken Breast marinated with a little salt
- Rice Vermicelli soaked in water until soft
- Yellow Noodles
- Fried Shallots
INSTRUCTIONS
🍜 Hokkien Mee Soup Base (Prawn Noodle)
- Wash and peel the prawns. Heat a small amount of pork lard in a wok and stir-fry the prawn shells until fragrant.
- Allow the fragrant prawn shells to cool slightly, then transfer them to a blender. Add about a small cup of water and blend into a paste.
- Pour the blended prawn paste into a pot. Add clear water and anchovies (ikan bilis). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about half an hour.
- Wash pork bones clean and blanch them in boiling water. Set aside.
- Strain the prepared broth once.
- Then add dried scallops, jicama, the blanched pork bones, dried flounder fish flatfish powder, the fried shallot and dried shrimp oil (from the section below), and an appropriate amount of fragrant chili paste (from the section below). Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- Season the soup base after simmering. Adjust the seasoning according to personal taste.
🧅 Fried Shallot and Dried Shrimp Oil (for Fragrance)
- Heat a wok, add pork lard, sliced shallots, and crushed dried shrimp, and fry until fragrant.
- Once fragrant, add the oil mixture to the soup base.
🌶️ Fragrant Chili Paste (Chili Paste Base)
- Heat a wok, add pork lard, then add the chili paste and salt. Stir-fry the chili paste until fragrant.
- Once stir-fried, ladle an appropriate amount into the soup base. Store the remainder to be served on the side.
🍤 Stir-fried Prawns
- Heat a wok, add pork lard, prawn meat, sugar, and the fragrant chili paste.
- Stir-fry over high heat until fragrant and the liquid has reduced. Scoop out and set aside.
🍜 Preparing Toppings and Assembling the Hokkien Mee
- Select and prepare the bean sprouts. Select the tender leaves of the water spinach (kangkung). Prepare hard-boiled eggs. Marinate the chicken breast with a little salt for 30 minutes. Cook it in the soup base until done, then remove, let it cool, and shred it into chicken strips. Set aside.
- Boil a pot of water. Quickly blanch the softened rice vermicelli (bee hoon), yellow noodles, bean sprouts, and water spinach.
- Place the blanched ingredients into a bowl. Pour in the Hokkien Mee soup base. Finally, top with the shredded chicken, hard-boiled egg slices, stir-fried prawns, a dollop of fragrant chili paste, and fried shallots (oil onion crisps). A bowl of flavorful Penang Hokkien Mee is complete!
INSTRUCTIONS VIDEO
NUTRITION
We are Penangites who love to COOK & EAT, so we are sharing the food we love with you. Know more about us…
Welcome to leave a comment and rate the recipe~