mingalar: a collection of burmese recipes - shopify recipes by: jennifer klinec of eat drink talk if...

Mingalar: A Collection of Burmese Recipes

By: Jennifer Klinec of Eat Drink TalkIf you enjoy this small collection of recipes, please make a donation to the Burma Campaign . For more information, please visit:

http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk

© Copyright 2008 Eat Drink Talk. All rights reserved www.eatdrinktalk.co.uk



http://www.eatdrinktalk.co.uk


The spirit of ‘Mingalar’ is something that anyone who has spent time amongst the Burmese cannot help but be touched by. Despite a crippling lack of democratic and personal freedoms combined with economic hardships that many of us cannot even imagine, the people of Burma display an unfailing warmth, kindness and courage that is profoundly humbling and inspiring.

“Mingalabar!” is how people in Burma greet each other, and is the first Burmese word that most foreign visitors to the country learn to say. It loosely translates as ‘Be auspicious and full of good fortune’.

I spent several weeks during the summer of 2007 travelling across Burma, getting to know its people, its culture and its cuisine. Burmese cuisine is often described as a melting pot of Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisines, but there are many aspects of Burmese cuisine that are not seen in any of these countries. A unique combination of sour, hot, tangy and salty flavours, the cuisine of Burma is distinctly and uniquely Burmese.

With this small collection of recipes, I wanted to not only raise money for the Burma Campaign, a charity that campaigns tirelessly for democracy and human rights in Burma, but also to raise the profile of the cuisine of this beautiful country.

In the 12 recipes that follow, I invite you to read about, cook and taste a cuisine that is fragrant with garlic and ginger, crisp with fried onions and garlic, tangy with lime juice and tamarind, and earthy with toasted chickpea flour and sesame seeds.

Most of the ingredients for Burmese cooking can be found everywhere however where specialist ingredients are required I have included a listing at the back of where you can purchase ingredients such as fresh turmeric, fish sauce and pickled tea leaves.

Thank you and mingalabar!

Jennifer




Table of Contents

Drinks

Iced Lemongrass Tea ............................................................................................

Avocado Milkshake ..............................................................................................

Salads

Fried Onion-Garlic Topping .................................................................................

Ginger and Lemon Salad with Roasted Peanuts.....................................................

Fish Cake Salad with Lime Juice and Herbs...........................................................

Lephet Thoke (Pickled Tea Leaf Salad)..................................................................

Snacks and Side Dishes

Rice Flour and Chickpea Pancakes with Tamarind Dipping Sauce..........................

Split Pea Fritters..................................................................................................

Hand-Mixed Burmese Rice with Tamarind............................................................

Mohinga (Rice Noodles with Fish Gravy)...............................................................

Curries

Twice Cooked Fish Curry......................................................................................

Duck Egg Curry....................................................................................................

Finding Burmese Ingredients

Recommended Suppliers.......................................................................................




Iced Lemongrass TeaThis isn’t a tea as such but an infusion of spicy, peppery lemongrass that makes for a refreshing drink served cold with ice and mint.

To get the maximum flavour from your lemongrass, be sure to bruise it well by giving it a good bash with the side of a knife or cleaver. You want to expose all the layers to the boiling water so that you draw out all the oils and flavour as the lemongrass steeps.

Makes one large pitcher

Ingredients500 grams lemongrass. sliced into 2 inch segments and bruised3 litres of water6 -8 tbsp honey or more to tastejuice of 2-3 limesa few sprigs of mint , bruised ice cubes for serving

InstructionsBring the water to a boil and add the lemongrass. Boil the lemongrass for 30 minutes and then remove from the heat and stir in the honey.

Leave the mixture to infuse overnight, then strain and discard the lemongrass. Place the infused ‘tea’ in a pitcher and add the lime juice and bruised mint. Stir well to mix.

Place the tea in the fridge and chill well. Pour over ice and serve.




Avocado MilkshakeThe idea of an avocado shake may sound a little unusual but if you like avocados you’ll love this. In many parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America avocados are enjoyed with sugar as a dessert and it isn’t hard to see why when you taste this buttery, creamy drink.

The only avocados really worth eating are the dark, wrinkly Haas variety which you can find everywhere. Just give the avocado a little press to check that they are ripe. A good avocado should yield to the pressure of your thumb without being overly soft or mushy.

Serves 1

Ingredients1 ripe Haas avocado250 mls milk6 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (or more to taste)a handful of ice cubes

InstructionsCut the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh into a blender. Add the milk, condensed milk and ice and blend until smooth.

Taste and add more condensed milk if desired and reblend.

Serve ice cold.

The Nylon cold drinks shop and ice cream parlour in downtown Mandalay




Fried Onion-Garlic ToppingTo many Burmese, a salad without crunchy fried onions and garlic on top just wouldn’t be a salad. I find the smell and flavour of these caramelised onions and garlic extremely appetising and whenever we make Burmese food in our cooking classes, everyone gobbles up anything covered with this topping. For our last Burmese cooking class I fried 5 enormous Spanish onions and an entire head of garlic and it still wasn’t enough so be warned - you may create some addicts!

Makes enough for 2 recipes

Ingredients2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced1 small onion, thinly sliceda 2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and finely grated10 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

InstructionsHeat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the garlic, onions and turmeric.

Saute the mixture for 20-30 minutes or until the garlic and onions are golden brown, deeply caramelised and crispy, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Switch off the heat and allow them to cool in the oil. Use as required as a topping for salads or rice.




Ginger and Lemon Salad with Roasted PeanutsThis salad is really refreshing and full of flavours and colour. For this salad to taste its best, the ingredients need to be sliced as thinly as possible and the ginger needs to be ultra fresh. Look for ginger that has smooth skin as wrinkly-skinned ginger is a sign of age and can be quite dry and bitter. If you can get hold of Persian sweet lemons or Meyer lemons for this recipe, they would also be delicious.

Makes one salad serving 4 as a starter or side dish

Ingredientsa small handful of peanuts2 tbsp sesame seeds2 tbsp chickpea (gram) flour2 tbsp dried shrimp1 large lemon1 large piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into thin julienne1 medium red onion, thinly sliced2 small tomatoes, halved and thinly sliceda large handful of cabbage leaves, thinly sliced2 tbsp fish sauce or more to taste2 red chilies, minced5 tbsp fried onion-garlic topping (without oil)

InstructionsPlace the peanuts and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat and toast for 4-6 minutes until golden. Place the peanuts in a mortar and pestle and pound until coarsely ground.

Toast the chickpea flour in a dry frying pan for 3-4 minutes or until brown. Place the dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle and pound to a powder.

Peel the lemon and remove the white pith with a sharp knife. Slice the lemon flesh very thinly and place in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well to mix.




Fish Cake Salad with Lime Juice and HerbsThis salad is very popular in Burma and is traditionally made using a fish called ‘Featherback’ which is also used to make the fermented fish sauces of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. In Burma the meat is scraped from the fillets using oyster shells and then pounded in mortars and pestles to toughen the texture before being formed into cakes. I’ve suggested using a food processor which also works well.

Makes one large salad serving 4

Ingredients2 tbsp chickpea (gram) flour1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced1 tomato, halved and thinly sliceda large handful coriander leaves, finely chopped1 red chili, seeded and mincedjuice of a lime3 tbsp fish sauce

Fish Cakes1 clove of garlica 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grateda 2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and finely grated2 red chilies, seeded and mincedsea salt450 grams firm white fish fillets (bream, snapper or seabass would be good) cut into chunks250 mls vegetable oil for frying5 tbsp fried onion-garlic topping (with oil)

InstructionsTo make the fish cakes, place the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilies and salt in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste. Add the fish fillets and continue to pound for 10 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth. Alternatively, place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl several times.

Wet your hands and roll the fish mixture into 3-inch long ‘sausages’. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat. When hot, add the fish cakes and cook them for 5 minutes turning halfway through until golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Toast the chickpea flour in a dry frying pan for 8-10 minutes or until it has turned a caramel-brown colour.

To assemble the salad place the onion, tomato, coriander, chili, lime juice and fish sauce in a large bowl and toss well. Slice the fish cakes into long slices and add them along with the toasted chickpea flour, and the fried onion-garlic topping to the salad, tossing again to combine.

Drizzle over a spoonful of the onion-garlic infused oil and serve.




A fish stall at one of the markets in Rangoon (Yangon). The woman on the left is scraping Featherback meat from the skin with an oyster shell to sell for making into fish cakes for fish cake salad.




Lephet Thoke (Pickled Tea Leaf Salad)Lephet is a one of Burma’s best known salads and consists of young tea leaves which are ‘pickled’ by being buried underground for four to seven months. This salad is usually eaten as a snack after a meal or offered to visiting guests at home where all the ingredients are served in a kind of lacquerware ‘bento box’ with little compartments for each element of the salad.

During a visit to northern city of Mandalay, I used to love the nighttime cycle rickshaw journey back to my hotel where I could look in on the occupants of the passing two-storied houses going about their evening rituals. There was inevitably a group of women in the downstairs living area gathered around a low table, chatting and munching lephet while the men were usually upstairs drinking beer and discussing football. Some things are the same no matter which country you are in!

Many people find the flavour of pickled tea leaves a bit strong, so in this recipe I’ve mixed it half-half with cabbage leaves which is also fairly common. If you prefer to serve this Burmese style, just put some little dishes of all the ingredients separately on the table with teaspoons and allow everyone to help themselves.

Makes one salad serving 4

Ingredientsa small handful of peanuts2 tbsp sesame seeds2 tbsp dried shrimpOne handful of pickled tea leaves, or a large bunch of blanched sorrel leaves2 small tomatoes, halved and thinly sliceda large handful of cabbage leaves, thinly slicedjuice of one lime1 red chili, finely minced3 tsp fish saucea handful of coriander leaves, coarsely chopped3 tbsp fried onion-garlic topping (without oil)

InstructionsPlace the peanuts and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat and toast for 4-6 minutes until golden. Place the peanuts in a mortar and pestle and pound until coarsely ground.

Place the dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle and pound to a powder.

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine.




Rice Flour and Chickpea Pancakes with Tamarind Dipping SauceThese delicious pancakes are prepared in the streets of Burma where they are cooked to order in shallow terracotta pots over a charcoal fire and eaten with tamarind sauce. Rice flour is easily available in Asian and Indian grocery stores and is a great alternative to wheat flour for people with gluten allergies. Just be sure to buy plain rice flour and not 'sticky' or glutinous rice flour.

Makes several pancakes

Ingredients400 grams of rice floura pinch of saltwater2 tsp vegetable oila large handful of cooked chickpeas

Tamarind Dipping Sauce60 grams tamarind pulp250 mls boiling water6 tbsp palm or jaggery sugar, finely grated or chopped4 tbsp fish saucea small handful coriander leaves, finely chopped

InstructionsTo make the tamarind sauce, place the tamarind pulp in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes, then rub the pulp between your fingers until the texture of the water is thick – similar to ketchup.

Pour the tamarind and water through a fine mesh strainer with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid. Press down on the tamarind fibres to extract as much flavour and liquid as possible, then discard the tamarind seeds and fibres.

Combine the tamarind water, palm sugar and fish sauce in a small, heavy based saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally until all the palm sugar has dissolved. Continue to simmer for a further 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat, stir in the coriander and set aside.

Combine the rice flour and salt in a bowl and add just enough water to make a thick batter. Whisk well so that there are no lumps.

Heat the oil in a small, non-stick or cast-iron frying pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, ladle some of the batter into the frying pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the top. Scatter some chickpeas across the surface, pressing them gently into the pancake, then flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter, keeping the pancakes warm in the oven.

Serve on a large platter with the tamarind sauce on the side for dipping. © Copyright 2008 Eat Drink Talk. All rights reserved www.eatdrinktalk.co.uk



Making rice flour pancakes with tamarind dipping sauce in a small village near Bagan.

A street stall selling fritters and chappatis in Mandalay.




Split Pea FrittersThe Burmese love to eat deep fried things and you can find all manner of deep fried treats from samosas to fritters made from onions, gourd, and various kinds of pulses. There is usually a stall in the markets selling nothing but deep fried snacks and the Burmese will often stop and pick up a few samosas or fritters to crush over their mohinga, salads or rice for extra texture and crunch.

Makes approximately 14 fritters

Ingredients250g dried yellow split peas1 tbsp baking powder1 small onion4 - 8 tsp warm watera handful of coriander, finely chopped a generous pinch of chili flakes 1 teaspoon sea salt vegetable oil for deep frying

InstructionsPlace the split peas and baking soda in a bowl and cover with warm water. Leave to soak for 3 hours until the split peas feel fairly soft when you squash one between your fingers.

Drain the split peas and place them in a food processor with the onion and process until you have a chunky puree. Add between 4 and 8 tsp of warm water and process again until the mixture sticks together but isn’t too wet.

Remove the mixture to a bowl and stir in the coriander, chili flakes and salt.

Heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Working with two teaspoons, scoop a quantity of the split pea batter and press it firmly between the spoons (or use your hands) to make an oval shape.

If your mixture doesn’t hold together, add a few spoonfuls of plain or rice flour to dry it out a little and try again.

Carefully scrape the fritter off the spoon into the hot oil and continue until you used up all the batter. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding your pot which will lower the oil temperature too much and result in soggy fritters.

Fry the fritters for 4-5 minutes or until deep golden brown and crisp, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Use as a garnish for mohinga or serve with tamarind dipping sauce (see previous page for recipe).




Hand-Mixed Burmese Rice with TamarindThis hand-mixing element of this dish really captures the intimacy of a family meal and is how many families in Burma eat together. A few months after I came home from Burma, I made this for my Mom and I one evening while I was visiting her in Canada. There was something really touching for me to sit down with my own mother and pass around little bowls and condiments and share a Burmese meal together.

Serves 6

Ingredients350 grams cooked rice75 grams chickpea flourtamarind water (see below)60 grams dried rice vermicelli noodles2 medium carrots, finely grated1/2 a small cabbage, finely sliced4 medium potatoes, cooked and sliceda large handful of bean sproutsa large handful of dried shrimp3 red chilies, finely mincedfish sauce fried onion-garlic topping for serving

Tamarind WaterCombine 120 grams of tamarind pulp with 250 mls boiling water. Soak the pulp in the water for 15 minutes or until soft. With your fingers, rub the pulp until it has dissolved and the seeds are free of pulp. Strain and discard the seeds and fibers.

InstructionsToast the chickpea flour in a dry frying pan for 10 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Toast the flour until it turns a deep golden brown colour.

Boil a kettle full of water and place the dried vermicelli in a large bowl. Pour over the boiling water to cover and leave the noodles to soften for 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Squeeze gently to remove as much water as you can.

Place the dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle and pound to a powder.

Place the cooked potatoes, cooked rice, and soaked noodles in separate bowls. Place all the remaining ingredients including the fried onion and garlic mixture in separate bowls.

Each diner should take a little of the potatoes, rice and noodles and spoon over the desired quantity of fried onion-garlic mixture, vegetables, chili, toasted chickpea flour, dried shrimp powder, tamarind liquid and fish sauce.

Each diner should mix the salad with their fingers and eat straight from their fingers.




Mohinga - Rice Noodles with Fish GravyI love the Asian tradition of eating salty, savoury breakfasts and of all of them mohinga is my favourite. While mohinga can also be eaten at lunch or dinner it is most commonly eaten at breakfast and everyone you meet will invite you to their favourite stall to go and eat mohinga.

You can find clusters of mohinga stalls in front of large apartment blocks, in markets, at the bases of pagodas, and even mobile mohinga carts with a scalding pot of broth perched rather perilously on a charcoal fire as the driver cycles through the streets calling out for customers.

While mohinga is frequently referred to as a soup, it is more accurate to call it a fish gravy as the soup base is thickened with toasted rice flour which gives it a velvety texture. In Rangoon (Yangon) it is traditionally made with banana stem however as this is fairly difficult to find in the UK you can easily leave this out.

Serves 8

Ingredientsa 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into slices4 stalks of lemongrass, cut into 3 inch chunks and smashed with the side of a cleaver250 mls fish saucea 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric, sliced3 litres of water1.5 kilos flavourful white fish (red mullet or wild bream would be good choices), scaled, gutted and filleted (ask your fishmonger for the carcasses for making the stock)

230 grams of rice flour2 large onions12 cloves of garlic3 stalks of lemongrass (white bits only)a 1 inch piece of gingera 1 inch piece of turmeric4 tbsp vegetable oil2 tsp shrimp paste1 tsp chili flakes (or more to taste)juice of 1 1/2 lemons85 grams rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in warm water until soft and then drained

For Garnishinghard boiled eggs, quarteredcoriander leaves, finely choppedchili flakessplit pea fritters (see recipe)

InstructionsPlace the ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce and turmeric in a large soup pot and pour over the water. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 15 minutes. Add the fish filets and the reserved carcasses from the fish and simmer for 15 minutes.




While the fish is simmering, place the rice flour in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Toast the flour, stirring very frequently until the flour takes on a light caramel colour and smells fragrant. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Strain the stock and reserve the fish fillets, setting them aside to cool. Return the stock to the stove and on a gently heat, add the toasted flour mixture to the stock whisking constantly to break up any lumps that form. Simmer the mixture gently for a few minutes, then switch off while you do the next step.

Place the onions, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and turmeric in a food processor and grind to a paste. Warm the vegetable oil on medium heat and saute the onion mixture for 25 minutes until the onions darken and the oil begins to separate from the mixture.

Add the shrimp paste and chili flakes to the onion mixture and stir constantly until the shrimp paste has dissolved. Break the fish fillets up with your hands and discarding any bones, add them to the onion mixture. Cover with a lid and saute the mixture on low heat for a further 10 minutes.

Add the fish and onion mixture to the flour-thickened stock and return it to a simmer. Taste and add more fish sauce, salt and pepper as desired. You can serve the soup now but if you have time, continue to gently simmer the gravy for as long as you can as it will only improve in flavour as it simmers.

Before serving, remove the gravy from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

To serve, place the softened and drained rice noodles in bowls and ladle over enough of the fish gravy to cover the noodles. Top with a few egg slices, coriander, and chili flakes. Take a few of the fritters and crush them on top. Eat with chopsticks and a spoon.

A mohinga stall at one of the markets in Rangoon (Yangon).




Twice Cooked Fish CurryThe name of this curry comes from the fact that the fish is pan-fried briefly on both sides and then returned to the pan and nestled into the curry sauce at the end to finish cooking.

Burmese curries are quite unique both in technique and flavour and this curry is much lighter and more sour than the spicy or creamy, coconut milk-rich curries that many people will be familiar with.

I usually leave the skin on the fish when I make this curry but you can have it removed if you prefer.

Serves 4

Ingredients4 snapper fillets or other firm-fleshed white fish, about 150 grams each6 tsp vegetable oil

Marinade1 tsp fennel seeds1 tsp ginger root, grated1 tsp grated palm or jaggery sugarjuice and zest of 1 lemona 2 inch chunk of fresh turmeric, peeled and grated finely1 red chili, seeded and minceda generous pinch of sea salt

Curry Sauce2 star anise1 tsp nigella seeds1 tsp fennel seeds2 medium onions, minceda 2 inch chunk of fresh turmeric, peeled and grated finely1 red chili, seeded and minced1 large tomato, slicedpinch of salt1 tsp grated palm or jaggery sugar8 kaffir lime leaves, central stems removed and mincedjuice of 1 lime200 mls watera small handful of green beans or yard long beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths1 small handful coriander leaves, chopped

InstructionsMake the marinade by toasting the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes or until fragrant. Grind up in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and combine with the rest of the marinade ingredients.




Place the fish fillets in a shallow dish and rub well with the marinade. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat and fry the fish fillets for about two minutes per side. Remove the fish fillets and set aside on a plate.

Add the star anise, nigella and fennel seeds to the pan and sauté in the oil for a few minutes until the spices begin to make popping noises. Add the onions and tomato and sauté, stirring frequently for 15 minutes or until the mixture is fragrant and the tomatoes have completely collapsed into a thick sauce.

Add the turmeric, chili, salt, sugar, lime leaves, lime juice and water and bring to a simmer. Slide in the fish fillets and simmer gently for 8 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through. Add the green beans and simmer for a further minute or two until the beans are tender.

Remove and scatter with the coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.




Duck Egg CurryI had this curry in a tiny ramshackle restaurant in Old Bagan. ‘Old Bagan’ used to be a thriving town until in 1990 when the government ordered the 3000 residents to relocate to an empty plot of land which is now called ‘New Bagan’. The residents were given 2 weeks’ notice of the move. Now the area is primarily peanut fields scattered with a few temples and the odd horse-cart driver plying for trade.

I liked this sour, tangy curry so much that I braved the 20 minute walk in the dark with no flashlight to return to the restaurant 2 nights in a row so that I could eat it again. The owner had few customers so he was kind enough to take me back into the kitchen so I could see how he made it.

The method for ‘scorching’ the duck eggs is really unusual and gives them a delicious texture. If you can’t get duck eggs which have a richer yolk than hen eggs, just use hen eggs instead. The cooking times are the same.

Serves 4

Ingredients8 duck or hen eggs6 tsp vegetable oil

Curry Sauce3 tomatoes1 medium onion2 cloves of garlic1 2 inch chunk of ginger, peeled1 2 inch chunk of fresh turmeric, peeled2 tbsp fish sauce2-3 tbsp palm sugar or jaggery, grated or crumbled1 small handful coriander leaves, chopped

Spice Mixture1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp coriander seeds1/2 tsp chili flakes

Tamarind WaterCombine 35 grams of tamarind pulp with 175 mls boiling water. Soak the pulp in the water for 15 minutes or until soft. With your fingers, rub the pulp until it has dissolved and the seeds are free of pulp. Strain and discard the seeds and fibers.




InstructionsBring enough water to a boil to cover the eggs by a few inches. Add the salt and gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Return the water to a boil, then cover the pot with a lid and switch off the heat.

Leave the eggs in the water for 14 minutes then drain away the hot water and add cold water to the eggs to cover. Take each egg and hit it against the side of the pot to crack the shell but do not peel them yet. Leave the cracked eggs in the cold water for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle, then peel away the shells and discard.

Meanwhile, cut an 'X' on the bottom of each tomato and place them in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 4 minutes. Drain and cover immediately with cold water to loosen the skins. Gently peel the skin off each tomato and coarsely chop.

Place the onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric in a food processor or mortar and pestle and grind to a paste.

Prepare the spice mixture by toasting the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan on low-medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until fragrant. Grind the spices to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Stir in the chili flakes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat and add the eggs. Cook the eggs for a few minutes per side, turning them with tongs until they are browned on all sides. Remove the eggs and set aside. Add the onion mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. Saute for 10 minutes until the mixture is dry and begins to darken in colour.

Add the tomatoes, tamarind water and spice mixture and simmer for 10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and fragrant. Add the fish sauce and palm sugar, then slide in the duck eggs and cook for 2-3 minutes until the eggs are heated through.

Remove from the heat and scatter with the coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.




Finding Burmese IngredientsRecommended Suppliers in London and Mail Order:

Mum’s House www.mumhouse.com

Mum’s House is the only source I have ever seen for lephet, the pickled Burmese tea leaves that are used to make lephet salad. They also sell a large range of Burmese ingredients and condiments including fish sauces and pastes, and dried shrimp.

Chinthe, 161 Portland Road, SE25 4UY

A little food shop based in South-West London making and selling a range of Burmese and other South East Asian condiments including balachaung and chili paste.

New Loon Moon Supermarket, 9 Gerrard St, W1D 5PP

Located on the main street in Chinatown, the New Loon Moon supermarket has a fantastic range of South East Asian vegetables and produce including lime leaves and fresh turmeric. They also sell some of the products made by Chinthe.

Ealing Road, Wembley

Take the Piccadilly line out to Alperton and turn left out of the station along Ealing Road and you'll soon come to an endless stretch of Indian butchers, green grocers and sweetshops selling all manner of foodstuffs at very cheap prices. Crammed with Indian housewives, be prepared to be jostled around a bit.

Taj Stores, 112 Brick Lane, E1 6RL

Situated halfway up Brick Lane, Taj Stores caters to the local Bangladeshi community with an extensive selection of fruit, herbs, vegetables and spices sourced from the Indian subcontinent. This is a good place to get chickpea flour, rice flour and blocks of tamarind pulp.

Seasoned Pioneers www.seasonedpioneers.co.uk

This little online spice company have everything! The spices are categorized on their website by ethnic region and they have many obscure and hard to find spices. They will ship in small quantities and your spices will arrive in small, sealable pouches to keep them fresh along with a recipe booklet with some ideas about how to cook with them.

The Spice Route, Broadway Market (Saturdays)

This stall has everything! Kate who runs the stall knows a lot about spices and stocks everything you need to make a Burmese curry. Customers can buy as much or as little as they need from Kate's massive collection of spice jars.




mingalar: a collection of burmese recipes - shopify recipes by: jennifer klinec of eat drink talk if...

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