Burmese recipes reflects a great influences of her many
neighbors especially the two largest countries which is China and India.
China's influence can be seen in the usage of noodles and soy sauce while
the Indian origin could be seen with the Burmese curries, though not as
highly spiced. Lots of garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, onion and shrimp
paste are used as flavor and served with bowls of home made pickles and
chutneys. Soft and moist boiled rice are served at every meal unlike in
other Asian countries where it is steamed.
Like other Asian kitchens, that of a Burmese
household is simply equipped. A brick fireplace for charcoal or wood
fires, or a portable charcoal brazier; a selection of pots and pans,
nothing that cannot be replaced by a Western-style utensil except the 'dare-oh',
a rounded, deep pan in a heavy iron with two handles, similar to the
Chinese wok; the large flat grinding stone, a stone mortar and pestle and
the usual colander, sieve, wooden and bamboo spatulas, skewers and ladles,
sharp choppers and knives. Every recipes in this section can be prepared
without any special equipment except, perhaps, a wok. As it is said, the
cook's best friend when handling ingredients that would, in the country of
origin, be prepared on the grinding stone, is a powerful and efficient
electric blender.
You will be surprised at how few spices you
will need for Burmese cooking. Burmese curries do not use curry powder.
They are based on onion, garlic, ginger and chili, and what you do need is
large amounts of these as well as the ubiquitous ngapi (or
blachan, as it is most popularly called), a dried shrimp paste.
Without it, Burmese cooking is just not authentic and while it may take
some getting used to in its more concentrated forms, a small amount added
to a Burmese recipe is what characterizes the food of the country. Fresh
coriander herb or Chinese parsley, as it is sometimes called, is a must if
your dishes are to have a true Burmese flavor. A large seed company
markets the seeds in packets and you can even grow the herb from seed
which has been bought for cooking.
|