This is a salad that I invite you to make friends with. Every time we make it, we agree – it’s good, in the way that makes me continually astounded that Burmese food is not more widely available. I learnt it first from my Aunt, but there’s as many recipes for this as there are burmese, and more. This is the perfect summer lunch, or dinner. Textural, sour, sweet, salty, goodness. Enough from me; heres the ‘recipe’.
Noodles, or noodles and rice. Different recipes might call for different carbs – vermicelli, cellophane noodles, egg noodles, or all three, rice is also often included. I typically use vermicelli (thats what is easily available here). Cook the noodles however you like, or however the packet says, and then cool in water. Chop up so they’re easier to serve and eat. You’ll want about a handfull per serve.
Non-negotiable is a cooked potato – of the russet type (i.e. goes slightly mushy when cooked), I typically just nuke this in the microwave because it is easy and I like easy. You’ll want maybe 1/2 a potato per serve, sliced.
Shredded cabbage or other salad type leaves. I’d go more for cabbage/kale rather than lettuce here, as it will add a better texture. About a small handfull to a handfull, to your taste.
Some sort of fresh onion. Spring onion, shallots, or soaked thinly sliced white or red onion.
Other salad stuff. For example, tomato, cucumber, capsicum/pepper. Whatever you happen to have. Sliced is good. You don’t need to overdo it here. I would recommend not going over a 50:50 ratio of carbs to salad (including the leaves and this stuff).
Herbage. Think cilantro or mint. A good amount per serve.
The essential toppings. Now for what makes it a burmese salad:
- Non-negotiable is toasted besan flour. For this, put some besan flour into a dry frypan, stir over medium heat (high if you’re impatient, or low if you’re distracted), keep stirring until it is toasty (golden brown). Once it is cool, you can jar this and it keeps well, great to add to salads or thickening for soups/stews/curries. I suppose you can also have toasted rice if you cant have besan flour. But the besan goes super nutty, and when mixed in, lends an almost creamy texture to the dish. You’ll want a good tablespoon for each serve.
- Also non-negotiable is tamarind, blended into a little water. A few tablespoons per serve.
- Final non-negotiable is fish sauce. Or, if you must, I hear the vegan fish-style sauces are pretty decent too. Salty funk.
- Final final non-negotiable is lime juice / cut limes. Or lemon, but lime just goes better with fish sauce.
Optional, but highly recommended toppings (actually lets just call these also non-negotiable if you want to be my friend):
- Crispy onion. If you make these, good on you, and save the oil for the dressing. Store bought is fine too.
- Fried garlic. Also, if you make these, good on you, and save the oil for the dressing. I just discovered that fermented garlic also works pretty nicely.
- Chilli crisp / chili powder. Never goes astray if you want to spice things up.
- More crunch. Mung bean fritters or similar crispy fried chickpeas or some other crunchy goodness. Texture. Is. Good. Cheat’s trick is to visit the Indian aisle of your supermarket for some fried goodness.
- Jammy boiled eggs. I’ve heard protein is good for you?
- If you have it, little dried shrimp or shrimp floss. If you don’t have this it doesn’t matter.
Alright, now, to serve, surround yourself or your unsuspecting guests with a bazillion bowls with all these ingredients. It’s easiest to use a good sized (e.g. mixing) bowl for this. Grab a handful of noodles, a little potato, a bunch of salad, onion, and herbage. Dump on the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice, and toasted besan flour, and all the other bits and pieces you’ve gathered. Mix. Classically this would be done by hand (hence the name of the dish), or chopsticks works too. If you do it my hand, I recommend gloves, not only for hygiene but also the fish sauce. Taste, and adjust the seasoning or ingredients as you wish.
Enjoy, wonder likewise why isn’t burmese food more widely available, and go and support your local burmese restaurant if you are lucky enough to have one. If you don’t have one, search every city or town you go to for one. Or else, check out some of these websites to get you started:
Recipes 