Penang curry mee arrives deceptively pale: coconut broth, noodles, cockles, prawns and tofu puffs, with a spoon of dark chilli paste served separately to stir in.

Penang's curry mee splits the dish in two: a mild coconut-milk broth and a separately fried chilli paste, added at the table to taste. The style is credited to Air Itam's old sisters' stall generations back, and shops like Hot Bowl, at it since 1992, industrialised nothing, still cooking the paste daily. Traditional versions add cubes of congealed pork or duck blood, a texture Penang defends and outsiders learn to love; halal kitchens like Bee Hwa rebuild the bowl with chicken and seafood.

Where to eat White curry mee in Penang

3 editor picks for White curry mee in Penang, ranked by editorial score. All Penang signature dishes · White curry mee across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 41 hr 15 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • For the paste: 15 dried chillies, 8 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, 1 stalk lemongrass, 1 teaspoon belacan, 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 litre light pork or chicken stock
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 200g yellow noodles and 200g rice vermicelli
  • 12 prawns and 12 cockles, cleaned
  • 8 tofu puffs, halved
  • 100g bean sprouts and a few sprigs of mint

Method

  1. Blend the paste ingredients and fry in oil over low heat for 15 minutes until the oil splits and the paste darkens. Set aside.
  2. Bring the stock to a simmer, add half the coconut milk and the tofu puffs, and season with salt; keep it pale and gentle.
  3. Poach the prawns in the broth 2 minutes; add the cockles for the final 30 seconds.
  4. Blanch the noodles and sprouts, divide into bowls, ladle over broth and finish with the remaining coconut milk.
  5. Serve each bowl with a teaspoon of the dark chilli paste on the rim, to be stirred in at the table a little at a time.

Editor tip. Resist stirring the paste into the pot; the whole Penang signature is the pale bowl arriving innocent and turning fiery only in your own hands.

Common allergens: Shellfish, Soy.