THE CUISINE

Key Features of Burmese Cuisine

1. Rice as a Staple:
   • Rice (htamin) is central to most meals, served with a variety of curries, soups, and side dishes.
   • Other rice-based staples include noodles and rice flour used for snacks and desserts.
2. Balance of Flavors:
   • Burmese dishes aim to balance different flavors:
     • Salty (from fish sauce and dried shrimp).
     • Sour (from tamarind, lime, or pickled ingredients).
     • Spicy (from chilies).
     • Sweet (from palm sugar or jaggery in desserts).
3. Fermented Ingredients:
   • Fermented foods, such as nga-pi (fermented fish paste) and laphet (fermented tea leaves), are widely used to add depth and umami to dishes.

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Popular Dishes in Burmese Cuisine

1. National Dishes:

• Mohinga:
  • A fish-based noodle soup with a rich broth made from catfish, rice flour, lemongrass, and turmeric.
  • Often garnished with boiled eggs, banana stem, and crispy fritters.
• Laphet Thoke (Tea Leaf Salad):
  • A salad made with fermented tea leaves, tomatoes, peanuts, sesame seeds, garlic, and lime.
  • Known for its unique mix of textures and flavors—crunchy, tangy, and slightly bitter.

2. Noodle Dishes:

• Shan Noodles:
  • A dish from the Shan State featuring rice noodles topped with a tangy tomato and meat sauce, often garnished with pickled mustard greens.
• Ohn No Khao Swè:
  • Coconut chicken noodle soup, often compared to Thai khao soi. It combines coconut milk, turmeric, and crispy fried noodles.
• Nan Gyi Thoke:
  • A dry noodle salad made with thick rice noodles, chicken curry, chickpea flour, and garnishes like lime and chili.

3. Curries and Soups:

• Burmese Curry (Hin):
  • A mild curry typically made with chicken, fish, or pork and flavored with turmeric, garlic, and ginger.
  • Served with rice, fresh herbs, and a variety of side dishes.
• Sour Soup (Chin Hin):
  • Tamarind-based soups with vegetables or fish, offering a tangy and refreshing taste.
• Nga Thalaut Paung:
  • A fish stew flavored with herbs, turmeric, and lemongrass, often served with rice.

4. Street Food:

• Samosas and Spring Rolls:
  • A nod to Indian and Chinese culinary influences, these crispy snacks are popular in street markets.
• Mont Lin Ma Yar (Husband-and-Wife Snack):
  • Bite-sized snacks made from chickpea batter and topped with quail eggs, scallions, or corn.
• Bein Mont (Rice Pancake):
  • A sweet and savory pancake made with rice flour, jaggery, and shredded coconut.

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Side Dishes and Condiments

1. Nga-Pi:
   • A fermented fish or shrimp paste that is used as a condiment or in soups and salads.
2. Balachaung:
   • A dry relish made from dried shrimp, garlic, chili, and oil, used as a flavorful topping.
3. Pickled Vegetables:
   • Pickled mustard greens, onions, or chilies are often served as accompaniments.
4. Fresh Herbs and Greens:
   • Dishes are often served with fresh cilantro, mint, or pennywort for added flavor and aroma.

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Snacks and Desserts

1. Fried Fritters (A Kyaw):
   • Deep-fried snacks made with lentils, bananas, or onions, often eaten as street food or with tea.
2. Shwe Yin Aye:
   • A popular dessert made with coconut milk, sago, agar jelly, and pieces of bread or sticky rice.
3. Mont Lone Yay Paw:
   • Sticky rice balls filled with jaggery and served during the Thingyan Water Festival.
4. Jaggery Sweets:
   • Palm sugar (jaggery) is used in various desserts, including candy, cakes, and sticky rice treats.

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Drinks

1. Tea (Laphet-Yay):
   • Tea culture is strong in Myanmar, with sweet milk tea being a favorite beverage.
2. Tamarind Juice:
   • A refreshing drink made from tamarind pulp, sugar, and water.
3. Toddy (Htan Ye):
   • A traditional drink made from the sap of toddy palm trees, consumed fresh or fermented into an alcoholic beverage.

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Dining Customs

1. Sharing Meals:
   • Meals are communal, with several shared dishes served alongside rice.
   • It’s customary to taste a little of each dish.
2. Sitting on the Floor:
   • In traditional settings, people sit on the floor around a low table to eat.
3. Utensils:
   • Spoons and forks are commonly used, but hands are also used for eating certain dishes. Chopsticks are primarily for noodle dishes.

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Regional Variations

• Shan State: Known for lighter, tangy dishes like Shan noodles and grilled fish.
• Rakhine State: Spicier dishes with a focus on seafood, often featuring chilies and ngapi.
• Chin State: Incorporates smoked meats and tangy flavors from bamboo shoots and herbs.
• Mon State: Offers unique curries and dishes with strong Indian influences.

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Burmese cuisine is as diverse and vibrant as its people, reflecting the country’s history, geography, and ethnic variety.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

EASIEST BEEF CURRY

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of beef stew meat or 1 pack

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoon of fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce

4 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon of curry powder

3 tablespoons of oil

1/2 teaspoon of gram masala

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 tablespoon of dried onion flakes

1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder

2 cups of water

DIRECTIONS

cook the beef with all ingredients except sugar, bay leaves and fish sauce in instant pot for 20 mins natural release. after instant pot, place the beef curry on stove top, add fish sauce, sugar and bay leaves and simmer for 20 mins. ____________________________________________________________________________________

EASIEST SAMOSA INGREDIENTS

3 large potatoes

1/2 medium sized onion

1 cup mixed veg

1/4 teaspoon of curry powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of gram masala

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

DIRECTIONS cook potatoes in an instant pot for 10 mins with natural release. mixed all ingredients with potatoes (drained) and roll then fry. __________________________________________________________________________________________

SPICIEST FISH NOODLE SOUP RAHKHINE MOTETI

INGREDIENTS

5 cups of water 3 tablespoons of fresh diced garlic 1 tablespoons of freshly ground black pepper 1 pack of tuna in water 3 tablespoons of fish sauce DIRECTIONS Boil the water. Add all ingredients when water boiled.

When it brings back up to a boil, enjoy! FUN FACT Rahkhine moteti is one of the famous noodle dishes very popular amongst Burmese people. It is very spicy and in other parts of Burma/Myanmar some people make a variation of this noodle dish and called it “arr pu shar pu” literally translates to “hot tongue hot mouth” indicating it is a super hot and spicy burning noodle soup. you can find these kind of noodles everywhere in yangon and other parts of the country. ____________________________________________________________________________________

Burmese recipes at its finest

Burmese Chicken Curry

Ingredients

1 cup of oil

32 oz chicken stock

1 and ½ yellow onions for fried onion

6 garlic cloves

1 yellow onions for gravy/sauce chopped and blended

1 slice of ginger

2 tomatoes

2 tablespoon of onion flakes

1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of ginger powder

5lb chicken thigh

1 stick lemongrass

2 tablespoon of fish sauce

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 teaspoon of chili powder (optional)

15 curry leaves

directions

chop and sautéed onions till golden brown (1 ½ yellow onion)

blend one onion and 6 garlic cloves 1 slice of ginger and sautéed till soft and slightly golden brown

blend 2 tomatoes and add to the sautéed pan

2 tablespoon of onion flakes, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of ginger powder and sautéed for 2 mins

add 5lb chicken thigh, 32 oz chicken stock, 1 stick lemongrass, 2 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of chili powder(optional) . cook in instant pot for 15 mins natural release

add 15 curry leaves at the end

EASY SHAN NOODLES BURMESE FOOD

1 pack noodles

2 lbs. chicken

2 tablespoon of oil

Chicken sauce ingredients

1/2 table spoon of chili bean sauce

1/2 tablespoon of fermented bean sauce

1/2 tablespoon of garlic sauce

2 star anise

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon of ginger

2 tablespoon of onion flakes

2 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon of ketchup

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

cook the noodle according to the package

to cook the chicken, put these ingredients all together in a pot and simmer for 1 hr on low heat. 1/2 table spoon of chili bean sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of fermented bean sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic sauce, 2 star anise, 1 tablespoon of garlic, 1/2 tablespoon of ginger, 2 tablespoon of onion flakes 2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 2 chicken legs with thighs (aprox 2 lbs) & 1 cup water

to assemble the noodle – add chicken with sauce, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of chili bean sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of fermented bean sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar, chili oil, shan pickles (look under shan pickles recipe), green onions.

Simple chicken soup to go with

32 oz chicken stock

½ cup cilantro

5 cloves of fresh garlic

1 slice of ginger

1 tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper

Salt to taste

*you can add any vegetables you like to the soup (optional)