Coconut jelly (kyauk kyaw)

The word agar comes from Malay word agar-agar. In Malay, the word agar-agar means jelly. Agar is a flavourless gel derived from seaweed. Therefore, it contains the rich array of minerals. White and semi-translucent, it is available in strands, flakes or in powdered form.

Agar strands

It is often used in Asian desserts, such as jellies, puddings and custards. In Burmese cuisine, coconut jelly(kyauk kyaw) is made from agar too. Usually this dessert kyauk kyaw would be served during celebratory occasions, such as house-warming party and wedding reception.

kyauk kyaw

Serves : 4-6
Preparation Time : 20-25minutes

Ingredients

20g agar-agar strands

200ml coconut cream

5 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Soak the agar strands in a bowl of water for 5 minutes.
2. Boil the water in a pot over medium heat.
3. Add the agar strands into the boiling water and stir until it is completely dissolved.
4. Add the coconut cream and stir for a few minutes on low heat.
5. Add sugar and salt. Give it a quick stir.
6. Turn off the heat.
7. Pour into a tray and let it set at room temperature(1.5-2 hours).

I was happy that the kyauk kyaw was set to perfection :) Yes, i finally did this right!!!! A nice soft texture unlike the rubbery kyauk kyaw during my first attempt. If you like a warm kyauk kyaw, then you do not need to chill this. However, i feel that kyauk kyaw gets much more delicious when chilled.

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Oil Rice (si-htamin)

For people in Myanmar, popular local breakfast items include coconut noodle, fish soup noodle, steamed sticky rice and fried rice with peas. Of course there is a wide variety of other local breakfast delicacies. Oil rice (si-htamin) is one of the popular Myanmar breakfast items. I am sharing this recipe with you on my blog as i believe anyone can follow this simple recipe of si-htamin. Hopefully, you will try making this in your own kitchen :)

Serves : 3-4
Preparation Time : 20-25 minutes

Ingredients
150g glutinous rice
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pounded dried shrimps
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup warm water
a pinch of salt to season

Method

1. Wash the glutinous rice and then leave to drain the glutinous rice.
2. Heat oil in the saucepan.
3. Add the onions to the hot oil and stir until they are soften.
4. Add the pounded prawns to the mixture and sprinkle turmeric powder. Give it a stir until they are lightly golden brown.
5. Remove the mixture from the saucepan.
6. Add the glutinous rice to the remaining oil and sprinkle salt. Give this a quick stir.
7. Add water just enough to cover the glutinous rice. Cover and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes on low heat. Once the rice is cooked and totally absorbed the water, then it is ready to serve.
8. Garnish the si-htamin with the mixture of fried onions and dried shrimps before serving them.

In fact, you can also use freshly grated coconut for garnishing. Either way, this is one yummy, quick and simple breakfast to go with a cup of hot burmese tea.

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A home-made cucumber pickle

Serves : 2

This is one of the popular dishes from Moulmein. A home-made cucumber pickle. If you prepare this correctly, the cucumber should be crunchy. Yummy!!!! Usually, this dish is served together with curry chicken and coconut rice. I will share with you the recipe of Burmese coconut rice in future.

Method

Step 1:

Wash the cucumber and cut off the ends.

Usually, the bottom part of cucumber taste bitter so we just cut and discard that part.

Step 2:

Cut the cucumber into half.

Step 3:

Remove the seeds using a teaspoon.

Step 4:
Thinly sliced the cucumber as shown below.

Step 5:
Toss in a bowl with the salt(1/2 teaspoon).

Step 6:
Place the cucumber on a clean kitchen towel.

Step 7:
Tie this up into a bundle like this.

Step 8:

Place the cucumber bundle on the higher end of the tilted chopping board. Place heavy weights on the bundle to drain the cucumber. In this case, i used mortar and pestle. You can see water dripping down. It is very important to drain the cucumber thoroughly.

After 2-3 hours, remove the weights.

Step 9:

Add 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. (Chilling part is optional. I prefer to eat this chilled.)

Final step:
Add 1 tablespoon of fried onions and remaining oil from the fried onions.
Add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds.
Seasons to taste.
Mixed well and is ready to tuck in!

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Spicy squid

Serves : 3-4

Cooking Time : 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

~ 0.352 kg squid

~ 6 cherry tomatoes

~ a handful of curry leaves

~ 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped

~ 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

~ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, pounded

~ 2 teaspoons of lemon zest

~ 5 tablespoons oil

~ seasons to taste

Steps needed to clean and prepare the squid

• Pull the tentacles out from the body
• Cut the tentacles just below the eyes and then remove the ' beak ' ( Be careful not to cut the ink sac )
• Gently reach inside the body to remove the quill and discard
• Tear away the skin and wash the squid under running water
• Cut the squid into estimate equal length

Method

1. Marinate the squid pieces, lemon zest, pounded cumin seeds, garlic and 1 teaspoon of oil in a bowl. Place this inside a fridge for about 40 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and stir for about a minute before adding in the marinated squid. Then add the water. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the cherry tomatoes and give it a quick stir.
5. Then spread curry leaves on top. Cover and simmer for 5-10minutes. Occasionally stirring the mixture until the liquid has reduced and the oil has separated from the gravy.

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Potato patties with shrimps

Do you enjoy eating potato patties?

If so, you should try this shrimp and potato patties recipe.



Preparation Time : 20 - 25 minutes
Serves : 2 - 3

Ingredients
~ 3 potatoes
~ 1 egg
~ 6-7 pieces of cooked shrimps
~ 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
~ 1 cup flour
~ 1 cup milk
~ oil (just add enough oil to cover the patty)
~ a pinch of salt

Method
=> Peel and wash the potatoes. Then grate the potatoes. Add coarsely chopped onion and shrimps to the potatoes and mixed well.
















Then make potato shrimps patties like this.

=> Mix flour and salt.
=> Add egg and milk to the mixture and beat until smoother batter is formed.
=> Heat oil in a pan.
=> Pour the mixture of flour, egg and milk over the patties before adding in the hot oil to fry.
=> Fry the patties until they turned golden brown.

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Bitter Gourd with Pork

Cooking Time : 30-40 minutes
Serves : 2-3

Ingredients
500g baby bitter gourd (kyet hin ga thee)
pork (I used left over marinated pork, you can substitute with your choice of meat(e.g chicken will take shorter time to cook))
a spoonful of pounded dried shrimps
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tablespoon red chilli powder
1/4 tablespoon ground turmeric
1/4 tablespoon dark soya sauce
seasons to taste

Method

Cut the bitter gourd into half and remove the seeds using a teaspoon.

Then sliced them approximately 1/2cm in thickness.

Add 1/4 tablespoon of salt in a big bowl of water and add the bitter gourd slices in it while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Heat oil in the saucepan over a medium heat. Put marinated pork into the hot oil and stir occasionally. Once the meat has turned white in colour, remove the pork from the oil.

Then add onions, garlic, turmeric and red chilli powder to the remaining oil. Stir frequently until the mixture has turned reddish brown. Add pounded dried shrimps and bitter gourd into the saucepan. Give it a quick stir then add the water. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes before adding back the pork pieces into saucepan. Spread dark soya sauce over and give it a good stir. Cover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Occasionally stirring the mixture until the liquid has reduced and it is ready.

Enjoy! Oh wait, let me get a plate of steaming rice to go with this.

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Chicken soup & Chicken salad

Cooking Time : 45-60 minutes

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

300g chicken drumstick

2 medium onions, cut into quarters each

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 stalks of crushed lemon grass, trimmed with darker top stems and root end chopped off, peeled off the outer leaves, leaving approximately 5-6cm stalks

seasons to taste

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water and add soup stock ingredients. Let it boil for about 30 minutes till the mixture has picked up the lemon grass taste.

2. Add seasonings to taste and let it simmer for about another 15-20minutes till the chicken meat soften.

3. Add a pinch of ground white pepper which will flavour the chicken soup.

4. Garnish with thinly sliced spring onion

Serve it hot!

Next, i served chicken salad using chicken drumsticks from the soup.

Chicken Salad

Remove the bone and peeled off the chicken meat. Add finely sliced onions, lemon juice(adjust to your sour level) and add thinly sliced green chilli padi to spice up the chicken salad(remove some of the seeds if you do not want it to be too spicy). Add seasonings to taste and ready to serve. Very simple but nutritious and delicious chicken soup and chicken salad.

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How to marinate fermented tea leaves

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