Aceh Spiced Noodles (Mie Aceh)

• 400 g fresh thick yellow egg noodles (or 250 g dried, boiled and drained)
• 200 g beef chuck or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
• 200 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 large red chilies, deseeded
• 2–4 bird's eye chilies (to taste)
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger
• 2 cm piece fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
• 3 candlenuts or raw macadamia nuts
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, ground
• 3 pods cardamom, lightly crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves (daun salam, or substitute regular bay leaf)
• 1 star anise
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp mixed with 3 tbsp warm water, strained
• 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 400 ml beef or chicken stock
• 150 g cabbage, sliced into ribbons
• 100 g bean sprouts
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar, or to taste
• fried shallots, to serve
• lime wedges, to serve
• emping (melinjo crackers), optional, to serve

Nutrition