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Pan mee (torn) served in soup | |
| Type | Noodle |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Malaysia |
| Main ingredients | Flour |
  | |
Pan mee (Chinese: 板麺, pronounced as ban mian) is a Hakka-style noodle, originating from Malaysia. Its Chinese name literally translates to "flat flour noodle". It is part of Malaysian Chinese cuisine.
The Malaysian Chinese consist of people of Chinese—particularly Han Chinese—ancestry who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. The great majority of this group of people are descendants of those who arrived between the early 19th century and the mid-20th century. They are traditionally dominant in the business sector of the Malaysian economy.
The dough is made from flour (sometimes egg is added for more flavor). Traditionally, the dough is hand-kneaded and torn into smaller pieces of dough (about 2 inches). Nowadays, the dough can be kneaded using machine into a variety of shapes, the most common shape being flat strips of noodle.
Pan mee is typically served in soup, together with dried anchovies, minced pork, mushrooms, and a leafy vegetable such as sweet potato leaves or sayur manis (sauropus androgynus). [1] It can also be served dry with a thick black soya sauce (also known as dried pan mee). Other serving styles include curry broth, chili-based broth, [2] and pork belly.
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are a root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. The sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato and does not belong to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, but both families belong to the same taxonomic order, the Solanales.
Sauropus androgynus, also known as katuk, star gooseberry, or sweet leaf, is a shrub grown in some tropical regions as a leaf vegetable. In Chinese it is called mani cai (马尼菜); in Japan it is called amame shiba (アマメシバ); in Malay it is called cekur manis, sayur manis, asin-asin or cangkok manis ; in Thai it is called pak waan ; in Vietnamese, it is called rau ngót; in the Philippines, it is called Chinese Malunggay and in Kerala, India it is called madhura cheera.
Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat from the belly of a pig. Pork belly is particularly popular in Chinese, Korean, Colleen and Philippine cuisine.
The soup plays a very important role in the preparation of pan mee. Typically, the soup is prepared by boiling pig bones and dried anchovies for hours in order to bring out the flavor. In the case of curry broth, a diluted form of curry is used.
Dry chilli pan mee is also becoming popular, especially in the Klang Valley. [3] This dry noodle is served with minced pork, fried onions, anchovies, and topped with a poached egg which is later to be stirred into the noodles. The most important part of the dish is the dry chilli mix (or sambal) which is served with it. Those with a strong tolerance for chillies often add several spoonfuls of the chilli to the noodles, though most are content with one spoon of the fiery chilli.
Sambal is a chili sauce or paste typically made from a mixture of a variety of chili peppers with secondary ingredients such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. Sambal is an Indonesian loan-word of Javanese origin (sambel). It is native to the cuisines of Indonesia, and popular in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Brunei and Singapore. It has also spread through overseas Indonesian populations to the Netherlands and Suriname.
Pan mee is typically eaten for breakfast, but it is widely available and commonly eaten for lunch and dinner as well. In Malaysia, one can find pan mee at hawker stalls, restaurants, and shopping malls offering Chinese cuisine. The price may vary, depending on the location of the restaurant or eatery. It usually costs less at hawker stalls but can cost more at restaurants, shopping malls, commercial and developed areas. This is due to tax, profit margins and the availability of the ingredients.
