It’s a recipe passed on from my grandmum, who lived briefly in Singapore. As kids, we looked forward to our summer holidays in Thrissur, just so that we could devour countless plates of steaming Meehoon. Though I do make it occasionally (great breakfast and dinner option), I have never been able to recreate the tantalising flavours of my grandmum’s Mehoon. Not just that; she used to make it in a jiffy — like we make a plate of Maggi! I loved it most when she added shredded beef. And guess what the main ingredient of this dish is? Leftover idiyappams!
(The writer is the editor of fullpicture.in, an entertainment website for Malayalam films)
Meehoon (Singapore Rice Noodles)
Ingredients
8 to 10 leftover idiyappams (I know it’s tedious to make at home, so just get a few packets of freshly made ones from the supermarket (Pazhamudir ones are really good)
Finely chopped onions: 1 big
Green chillies: 2
Crushed garlic: 1 tbsp
Tomatoes: 3
Leftover boiled chicken/beef/pork: 1/4 cup
Cabbage: 1/2 slice (boil shredded cabbage and sliced tomatoes together and keep aside)
Eggs: 2
Lemon: 1
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a wok, sauté the onions, green chillies, and crushed garlic. Add the boiled cabbage and tomato. Throw in the finely shredded idiyappams and mix well, but wait until the cabbage-and-tomato mix dries up before you add the idiyappams. Now add the shredded meat of your choice and scrambled eggs (seasoned with salt and pepper). Squeeze a tsp or more of lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. It tastes best on its own or you can have it with a spicy chicken curry or chilled onion raita with pappads.
Footnote: Vegetarians may use paneer instead of meat.