Tomato Relish...kha yun chin thee chet

Every Myanmar cook knows how to cook this and each one has a different method I think. As usual mine is probably the easy way. This is actually a dip of sorts eaten with rice and fresh or parboiled vegetables . A proper Myanmar meal will have either fermented fish dip ,nga pi yay, or this relish. 

Chop onion, garlic and tomatoes into small pieces. Some proper cooks like to peel the tomatoes. I think it is more interesting with bits of peel in it. Up to you, really. Some like to add dried , pounded shrimp.I don't like the fishy smell so left it out. I also left out the fish paste, nga pi, for the same reason. Instead I used fish sauce.

Heat some oil, a bit more in this dish, about four tablespoons, and add the oninos, garlic and tomatoes together with some chilli powder, tumeric powder and fresh uncut chillies. Once the oinons look clear and tomatoes are wilted, add some fish sauce. I used about two tablespoonfuls. How salty you want depends on your individual taste. You can always correct it later. Of course once it is too salty, you can't do anythng about it!!!

Add a small cup of water and cover and simmer the relish on medium heat.

After about ten minutes, everything should have melded together and the oil turned. Taste and add more fish sauce if needed. It should be slightly salty, slightly spicy and slightly oily. Now cover the relish with cut up coriander leaves and remove from heat. If you leave the pan on the heat the leaves will wilt and brown, not a pretty sight. You want them fragrant and still slightly green.

Serve with fresh cucumbers, green mango slices, blanched long beans , carrots, cauliflower and cabbage.

I personally love it mixed with rice like a salad. Looking at this pic, I actually need to go eat it now.............

            Spicy Pork With Dried Chilli



   Most of the time I like simple dishes with the minimum of ingredients  and this pork dish is so simple and so yummy. Beware though when frying the dried chillies because they will make you cough and gag! Open windows are recommended.......

Slice pork into thin strips. I used pork belly which is a cheaper cut. Some fat on the meat makes the dish better tasting and moist.

Marinade the meat with some soy sauce, a bit of chilli powder and  pepper. Fry in some oil until the meat is well cooked and brown.  Remove the meat and most of the oil. You should have about a tablespoonful of oil left in the pan.

Now comes the tricky part. Frying the chillies.Open the window or switch on the fan. Heat the oil slightly and add the dried chillies. Stir quickly and let them cook until the chillies look almost burnt, a deep dark color. They will be emitting a smokey aroma, and you should probably be coughing by then!!! Remove from heat and add the fried pork. Return to heat and stir. Add about a tablespoonful of sweet dark soy sauce and stir. If you have green onions, this is the time to add them, sliced of course. If you don't have them, no problem. I didn't.

Plate the meat and serve immediately.

       

The taste is smokey, hot and thoroughly delicious.

This a version of kung bao chicken though I used what ever chilli I had on hand.

You can replace cubes of fried fish, sliced chicken or prawns  and add all sorts of veggies to it. I personally love it with small florets of cauliflower and carrots slivers. Use what ever floats your boat and name it what ever you wish.


Easy, quick and bound to impress someone.

             Squid and morning glory salad........

 

 I found some lovely squid in the market this morning and thought about a salad with morning glory.  

 Some call this veg...water spinach. Call it what you want it is still delicious and healthy. And some might even say this dish is just a stir fry. It is in a way though it is healthier as the veg is par-boiled. Just make sure the stems still have a bit of crunch to them.

 

                           

I started off marinating the cut up squid in vinegar and soy sauce. I used Kikkoman. Then I par-boiled the morning glory . Using the same pot, I sauteed some diced ginger and garlic (really the amount is up to you) in about a table spoon of oil and on very high heat, stir fried ( yes!! i did do a bit of that) them for about a minute. When the squid is white, remove from the pan right away because any longer and you would have paper salad instead!

So now you will have only the garlic and ginger in the pan with the liquid which you did not remove....

Add about three table spoons of thick sweet soy sauce, something like ABC, and about four dashes of black pepper. 

When the sauce heats up and thinckens turn off the heat. Add the squid and veg, mix gently and serve...

This was one of the dishes we loved from old China town back home. I don't know if they still make them this way.

 

till next time.............

                        Pennyworth   Salad

                                            


 We call pennyworth "horse shoe leaf" as it does look a bit like that. It has a bit peppery, bitter and crunchy texture so perfect for clear soups and salad.  It is available year round and very economical too. 
Apparently it is a medicinal plant so what could be better??? AND it's vegetarian too.

Wash and trim the leaves, nipping almost all of the stem off. How many  leaves you use depends on how you like it, right? I used about a medium sized bunch.  No other way to explain it as they are sold in bunches and not in weight.

You would need some ingredients ....

a bit of lime or lemon

about a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds

roasted and crunched up peanuts ( a bit of a smash in a motar and pestle will do the trick)

about two tablespoons of roasted dhal powder
 (optional but they add a sweetness and combines all )

about two pinches of salt or more depending on how much lime you have used

two or three tomatoes, sliced

and of course the pennyworth leaves sliced thinly.

Mix it all gently and taste. Simple, surprising and totally healthy.

The more peanuts and sesame  you add, the more delicious it becomes..

 This salad was a perfect addition to our lunch of steamed minced pork .

         I made two small bowls of pork for the girls' lunch when they come home from school. It's a great sandwich filling too.

   A delicious roselle soup with bamboo shoots and pork belly. YUMM !!!! My favorite soup of all time. Whenever I cook this soup, I have to cook extra rice.
    This dish goes so well with fried balachang. I think I will go eat now.......... tar!

   Prawns.....................

I had a handful of frozen prawns and needed a dish quick after a late morning in bed...so...

Prawns, sliced onions, crushed garlic and ginger, turmeric,salt,chilli powder and oil. Simple enough. Fry the onions and garlic in about two tablespoons or so of oil. Remove them when golden like this....

Throw the prawns, two pinches of salt, a bit or turmeric and chilli or paprika if you don't want it spicy and cook until prawns are curled. Taste and fix to your liking, add the fried onions and a tablespoon of water which will seal it all. DONE!

  Looks a bit too little so I added some pan fried potatoes.... now it looks better, right?

Pork and green mango..

 No onions this time. Just smashed garlic and ginger, turmeric ,chilli and fish sauce....

 Mix it all together over high heat and cover with water. Put the lid on and leave to cook over medium heat.

  Looks good..... the green mango will taste similar to a gourd, it should melt in your mouth.

Please enjoy eating... sar kaung par sae.

Potato salad, Myanmar style

This potato salad is quite healthy compared to the ones with mayonnaise, though they are equally delicious.

                          Start with some boiled potatoes, making sure they are cooked but still firm.

Slice half an onion ( I know, what a hassle, right?) as thin as you possibly can. Chop one (or more) chilli.

                                Other ingredients you will need for the salad are:   
                                                  .

                                fried garlic oil, about two tablespoons,

                                roasted dhal powder (optional ), about one tablespoonful,

                               tamarind pulp ( no, it's not coffee ), about two tablespoons, though you                            can use lemon juice, but it will not have the same body as tamarind.

    

                               about a tablespoon of fish sauce depending on how salty your want .

                               Now let's assemble the salad. I like to use a spoon and not my hands
                       to mix this as I tend to squish the potatoes too much!

                               Place the sliced potato and onions in a bowl,

                               add the rest of the ingredients ,

                                 and  mix gently with a spoon, making sure the oil is incorporated.

   Adjust according to your taste. 

                                    If you like some heat in your food, you can add dried chilli flakes.

                   It is ready now to join the pork curry and the sour daikon soup cooked with dried salted fish.

                                                                     Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Blog

        I have thought many times of starting a blog, not just any blog but a food
 related one. Finally, after a busy day of just about everything, I am 

      starting one.  There are misconceptions about Myanmar food. 

Some think it is bland, not quite as exotic as Indian curries, not interesting 

as Thai or as healthy as Vietnamese dishes.

        Possibly all these notions are  correct. It is milder in taste and fewer in
ingredients. But the mildness and sometimes sparse components makes
 for a subtle and delicate taste that can be addictive. 

       We do have dishes that are vibrant and strong, some dishes
are influenced by the different cultures that have joined our nation.
The flavors maybe be deceptively mild but the memory of it
will stay with you for a long time.

       

      

I

Pork curry or sii pyun

 A simple dish with of pork, spices , onions and tomatoes.

I took about half a kilo of pork, cut it into random pieces ( I don't like precision cut blocks of meat)  and throw it in a pot together with a diced onion, two chopped tomatoes,a teaspoon each of turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, and a smidgen of sugar.

 Pour about three tablespoons of oil on the whole lot and mix it well on high heat. When the onion has wilted down and meat has changed color, add water to cover it all.
 Put the lid on the pot and let it cook away, preferably on medium heat ( low heat if you are going  to be watching TV in the meantime like I was ) until meat is tender. Depending on the cut of the meat , you may need to add more water.

You will know when the dish is done by sight and sound. The water will have evaporated, the oil will have returned and the smell!!!  Glorious smell!!  It will fill up the whole kitchen and then you will know that the dish is done.

There! So simple and so good.
        I am sure most will already know how to cook this. For those who have not tasted it before, watch out that you don't burn the dish. But that's  no problem as the burnt bits are so, so delicious too.

bye for now....