There are many ways of making noodle soup in Malaysia and it is always broth.

It can be rice vermicelli with vegetable soup, chicken soup, beef soup or lamb soup. The difference in the soup is the main ingredient that we use in the broth.

The vegetable soup consists of mixed vegetables such as mushrooms, baby corn, carrot and pak choy.  To make the broth tasty, we can put in chicken or beef. 

It is a sought after dish in our tropical weather. It is a simple menu to order when you dine outside.

You may get your order faster because the soup is prepared in one large pot and the seller just pours the broth in the bowl with the noodles.

What we need to make beef broth

For the Malay style of making the broth, we used spices. The ingredients are garlic, onion, ginger and the spices like cinnamon, fennel, coriander, cumin, cloves and black pepper.

These are the important spices that have been used in cooking the soup. Formerly, we had to make soup ingredients but now the spice soup ingredient is available commercialised.

We can choose to buy either grinding spice soup ingredients or the raw soup that was wrapped in cloth. In  Malaysia, we call it sup bonjot.

Also available is the spice that sells separately. You can pick and choose which spice you want.

The commercial spice soup available is because the broth is a favourite among our community to have during the day.

How to make beef soup for rice vermicelli noodle

The beef from chuck roast or sirloin is good to make the soup. I always buy fresh beef at the Selayang Baru Market (Pasar Selayang Baru).

For the good taste to eat rice vermicelli noodles is to boil the beef in a big chunk with all the spices, garlic, ginger and onion.

Cooking with slow and low heat for two hours makes the beef tender and broth tastier.

How to prepare the soft rice vermicelli

When the chicken or beef broth is mixed with rice vermicelli, it is delicious to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

For some, it can replace rice as the main menu but others take it as a side dish. 

Rice vermicelli beef soup noodles when served hot in a bowl is appetising and refreshing. The soft rice vermicelli dissolves and blends with the broth. 

To make rice vermicelli soft yet retain the shape, soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain the cold water. Pour in boiling water and soak rice vermicelli for five minutes.

Drain the hot water and filter the rice vermicelli.

There you go. Put a handful of vermicelli rice in the bowl. Add in sliced beef on top and pour the broth. Lastly, sprinkle with spring onion and soup leaves.   

Recipe 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2½ hours

Difficulty: Easy

Serving: 3 person

Ingredients:

• 200g rice vermicelli 
• 300g beef
• 5cm ginger
• 6 onions
• 2 garlic
• 6cm cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 teaspoon fennel powder
• 1 teaspoon masala mix
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (pound)
• 5 super clove
• 2 flower clove
• 3 litre water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 litre of water
• Soup leaves
• Spring onions

Instructions 

1. Soak the rice vermicelli in cold water for 15 minutes and put it aside. 

2. Boil the beef for one hour. Add up ginger, onion, garlic, cinnamon, cumin powder, fennel powder, masala mix, coriander powder, black pepper, super clove and flower clove. Boil another one hour.

3. Take out the beef and cut it into pieces. Put aside.

4.  Drain the cold water from rice vermicelli. Pour in boiling water and soak rice vermicelli for five minutes.

5. Put the rice vermicelli in the bowl and add pieces of beef on top. Pour in the broth and sprinkle the soup leaves and spring onion,

4. Rice vermicelli beef soup noodle ready to be served.