Kerabu Beehoon is a vibrant Nyonya dish of rice vermicelli tossed with sambal belacan, calamansi juice, and lots of herbs. Kerabu means spicy, sweet & sour salad and Beehoon means rice vermicelli. Nyonya is a culture and cooking style, from the influence of Chinese and Malay cultures in areas of what is now Malaysia and Singapore.
Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, torch ginger flower, and mint leaves mixed together with springy rice noodles, then tossed with spicy chili sambal and zesty calamansi lime. This colorful Kerabu Noodle truly represents Malaysian cuisine and also diverse culture. 
Even though preparation takes a while – lots of herbs to chop, it’s worth the work. The flavors of the herbs will dance on your tongue (and continue to do so even after you are finished), will leave you sated and wishing for more.
This light & flavourful dish is eaten anytime of the day – for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even teatime. I don’t mind having them throughout the day.
PrintKerabu Beehoon (Rice Noodle Salad)
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Kerabu Beehoon is a vibrant Malaysian rice noodle salad, tossed with sambal belacan, calamansi juice, and a medley of fresh herbs, offering a spicy, sweet, and sour flavor profile.
Ingredients
- 200g Rice Vermicelli – soak in water until soft and drain
- 100g Beansprout
- 12 medium Prawns – shelled and deveined
- 2 pieces Firm Tofu
- 6 Kaffir Lime Leaves – finely sliced
- 3 stalks Lemongrass – bruised and finely sliced
- 10 Shallots – thinly sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic – minced
- 2″ Ginger – minced
- 2 Torch Ginger Flower (Bunga Kantan – finely sliced
- 2/3 cup freshly Grated Coconut
- 1/4 cup Dried Shrimp – pounded
- 4 fresh Red Chili
- 4 Dried Red Chili
- 1 tablespoon Belacan (Shrimp Paste)
- 1 tablespoon Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka) or Raw Sugar
- Juice of 3 Calamansi Limes
- Pinch of salt, or to taste
Garnishing:
- A handful of Mint Leaves – finely sliced
- Calamansi Lime – halved
- Fried Shallots (optional)
Instructions
- Soak 200g of rice vermicelli in water until soft, then drain and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, bruised lemongrass, sliced shallots, minced garlic, and sliced torch ginger flower.
- In a mortar and pestle, pound fresh chili and dried chili to make a paste, or pulse in a food processor.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chili paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the prawns to the pan and cook until they turn pink, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, lightly fry the firm tofu until golden brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the mixing bowl with the herbs, add the cooked rice vermicelli, beansprouts, cooked prawns, and tofu.
- Add sambal belacan, calamansi juice, and salt to taste. Toss everything together until well combined.
- Garnish with mint leaves before serving.
Notes
Chop the herbs finely to ensure they mix well with the noodles. This dish can be served at any meal, including breakfast and teatime. If calamansi limes are unavailable, substitute with lime or lemon juice. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Malaysian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 18
- Cholesterol: 85
