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Ingredients

2 pieces dried ramen
300-400ml palm cooking oil
for deep-frying

Sambal belacan
5-6 red chillies, seeded and sliced
2 bird’s eye chillies, chopped
20g belacan (dried shrimp paste), toasted

Dressing
1 heaped tbsp sambal belacan
4-5 tbsp calamansi lime juice
salt and sugar to taste

30g cabbage, shredded
30g cucumber, shredded
1/2 big onion, sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves, washed
and drained
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced finely
1/4 torch ginger blossom (bunga kantan), sliced finely
1 tsp coarse sugar or to taste

Method

To deep-fry ramen

Heat the palm cooking oil in a wok or saucepan over medium high heat. Once it starts to smoke, slip in a piece of ramen. Once the bottom is golden brown – in about 30 seconds – flip it over to brown the other side for a few more seconds. Remove immediately and drain on paper towels. Once cooled, crush with the back of the cleaver or pestle.

To boil ramen

Bring a pan of water to boil and cook the ramen to packet instruction. Immediately drain the ramen and plunge in iced water to stop the cooking – the ramen should have a lot of bite and spring to it, and not be soft. Drain, toss in a little palm cooking oil to prevent them from sticking.

To make sambal

Blend or pound all the ingredients to a paste.

To make sambal dressing

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sambal belacan with the calamansi lime juice, and season to taste with salt and sugar.

To finish

Add the two types of ramen and rest of the ingredients, except sugar, into the mixing bowl and toss well. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkled over with the course sugar.