Mee Gathi – Rice Vermicelli with Coconut Cream Sauce
Su-Mei learned to cook as a child in Thailand. Her philosophy on cooking is "food for the mind, body and soul."
Courtesy of the Oriental Hotel Cooking School, Bangkok, Thailand
- Servings Serves 4
Ingredients
- 300 grams (1½ cups) Coconut Cream*
- 100 grams (1 cup) chicken, minced
- 40 grams (3 tablespoons) shallots, finely sliced
- 40 grams (½ cup) firm tofu, diced
- 30 grams (3 tablespoons) preserved soybean**
- 6 grams (1½ teaspoons) salt
- 40 grams (¼ cup) palm sugar
- 35 grams (4 tablespoons) tamarind pulp***
- 3 grams (1 teaspoon) chili flakes
- 20 grams (2 tablespoons) chili oil
- 200 grams (2½ cups) rice vermicelli, soaked, boiled, and drained
- Bean sprouts, as needed
- Chinese chives, as needed
- Shredded egg crepe, as needed
- 2-3 wedges lime
*Coconut cream recipe here
**Preserved soybean is also called fermented soybean. It is sold in a glass jar. I buy a brand made in Taiwan called Dragonfly. However, you can choose a brand you think you might like. My advice is to stay clear from the ones manufactured in Mainland China. I am leery about anything grown and manufactured there.
***Tamarind pulp recipe here
Preparation
1. In a bowl, combine half of the coconut cream with the minced chicken. Keep stirring to make sure there are no lumps. Set aside.
2. Heat the rest of the coconut cream in a wok and reduce over medium heat until it becomes a little oily. Add the shallots to cook until aromatic. Pour the mixture from above to mix and stir well until cooked.
3. Add the tofu, preserved soybean, and season with salt, palm sugar, tamarind pulp, and chili flakes.
4. Spoon out ⅓ of the sauce and reserve it for garnishing. Add the chili oil to the rest of the sauce, then stir in the rice vermicelli. Cook a few minutes and remove from the heat.
5. To serve, put the vermicelli on a plate, then pour the reserved sauce over. Serve with bean sprouts, Chinese chives, and lime.
Su-Mei Yu
Su-Mei Yu opened one of San Diego’s first authentic Thai restaurants, Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken, on India Street in Mission Hills over 25 years ago. She later added Saffron Noodles & Sate. Located next to each other, both restaurants became San Diego favorites featuring traditional Thai dishes made from recipes Su-Mei learned as a child in Thailand, prepared with her philosophy of “food for the mind, body and soul.” Su-Mei Yu is an accomplished chef and cooking instructor and has authored several Thai cookbooks, including Asian Grilling, Cracking the Coconut and The Elements of Life: A Contemporary Guide to Thai Recipes and Traditions for Healthier Living. She has been featured on numerous television programs including Martha Stewart, Good Morning America and The Today Show as well as in notable publications such as Food & Wine Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and The New York Times.
Courtesy photo
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