Mixed noodle and vegetable Salad

Mixed noodle and vegetable Salad 

This salad is a tasty treat for all Burmese Families since we grew up with this one of a kind treat food. Thirty five years ago in our girls' school, Daw Kay is the shop owner of our school lunch service. She has already passed away by now. But her salad shop was the most popular and girls need to wait in long line for their lunch.

The trick to this food is the fresh, scratch made onion flavored oil consisting of shallots and garlic.  This is a crucial ingredient which is important to make the salad more appetizing and taste delicious.

As European salad use vinegar as dressing, in Burma, we use the fresh tamarind fruit juice for sourness.
Whereas olive oil is used in the dressing of European salads, shallots and garlic oil take its place in this noodle salad.
The culinary world is amazing in the sense that there are endless possibilities to combine flavors across different cuisines.

This typical mixed salad is an authentic Burmese lunch that we enjoyed as an evening snack after school. Most of the ingredient are balanced with carbohydrate and vegetables.

 The Scott Market (Boggyoke Market, prestage shopping mall of Rangoon  since long time ago) is famous for the Myanmar handicraft shopping Mall with colonial style. Most tourists always go shopping for Burmese handicrafts, souvenirs, and jewelry made with Burmese ruby and jade. In that market, there are at least two to three salad shops available in which you can enjoy their meals. The shops there tend to have a higher variety of ingredients as compared to my meal, however, the recipe listed here will utilize all the basic ingredients to give the same taste.

Today, this kind of food might be available in some higher end Burmese style coffee shops (Tea Shop). It is also the luxury weekend treat for the families who stay out of our country. When we made this food, it was always in bulk in which we invited two to three families to enjoy together. We were always thankful to have this great food together.

Mixed Noodle Salad ( 5 Serving)

1 lb.     Egg Noodle (Boiled)
1 lb.     Glass Noodle (Bean Thread Noodle ) boiled
1/2 lb.  Cooked white rice
1 cup   Cucumber (Julienne matchstick style)
1 cup   Green cabbage (thinly shredded)
1 cup   Boiled potato (sliced)
1 cup   Firm Tofu (fried)
1 cup   Green papaya (shredded)
1 cup   Bean Sprout (Blanched with hot water)
1/2 cup Red onion
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/4 cup Lemon leaves (thinly sliced)

Dressing for salad

1 cup   Ground dried shrimp (finely ground)
1 cup   Fish sauce
1 cup  Fried shallot and garlic oil (Prep :1)
1 cup  Fresh Tamarind juice (Prep :2)
4 tbsp. Sriracha chili sauce (optional)
1/2 cup Fried Chili Oil (Prep :3)
1 cup  Toasted Besan Powder, Roasted Gram flour (or roasted yellow split pea powder)

Step by Step Instructions

Prep :1

1.  Prepare 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot and 3 tbsp sliced garlic.
2.  Heat the skillet or fry pan with medium high heat.
3.  Pour 1.5 cups of oil in the pan to heated through for 3-4 minutes. (may test with one      piece of shallot whether it start frying out or not)
4. Add all the sliced shallot and garlic into pan together with 1 tsp. full of turmeric powder.
5. Stirring the shallot and garlic is most important and critical not to get burnt.
6. If needed, turn down the heat to medium form medium high.
7.When the shallot and garlic looks golden brown color, turn off the heat and strain up all oil  and shallot , garlic mix . Put it in separate bowl and let it cool down. Then mix it back all together when the oil is cooled down completely. That way shallot and garlic will be crispy.

Prep :2

1. Take 2-3 tbsp of tamarind paste from the packet rinse with cold water a little bit.
2. Put it in the bowl and fill that bowl with 1.25 cups of hot water to get thick tamarind juice.
3. May use either fork or hand to get thick tamarind juice and set it aside.

Prep :3

1. In the skillet with medium high heat in the stove top, add one cup of oil in the pan.
2. Mix  3 tbsp fine chili powder with a 1.5 tbsp of water in separate bowl to get paste.
3. Fry the chili paste in the heated oil and stir continuously. Turn down the heat to low and when the chili paste is cooked for 3 minutes it will be ready.

Prep :4

1. Cook one cup of rice in the rice cooker.
2. When the rice is cooked, let it cool down in a bowl and add 3 Tbsp of Sriracha chilly sauce and mix it together thoroughly. Set it aside .
3. We may use fried chilly oil instead of using the Sriracha chilly sauce.

Dressing Mix for one serving

1 tbsp. Dried shrimp powder
2 tsp    Toasted Beasan Powder
1 tbsp.  Tamarind juice
1 tbsp   Fish sauce
1 tbsp   Fried Shallot and garlic oil
1 tsp     Fried chili oil
Add salt to your own taste

Portions for the one serving salad.

In the serving plate

2 tbsp  shredded papaya
2 tbsp  shredded cabbage
1 tbsp  Blanched beansprout
1 tbsp  Fried Tofu
1 tbsp  thinly slice onion
1 tbsp  sliced potato
1 tbsp  julienned cucumber
1 tsp    cilantro
0.5 tsp  thinly sliced lemon leaves
0.35 cup chili seasoned cooked rice ( prep: 4)
0.35 cup cooked bean thread noodle
0.35 cup cooked egg noodle

( Note : It will be plenty when we put all the noodle ingredients and vegetables but no limit. You may add more ingredient that you like or you may skip the ingredient that you do not like.)

Mixing the Salad ( or ) Tossing the salad

In European style : We may mix all the one serving dressing ingredient in a bowl together then add all the one serving noodle ingredients into the bowl and toss with chopstick or spoon and fork.

In Burmese Way : We put all the dressing ingredient onto the noodle ingredients in one mixing bowl and mix with hand to make sure all the sauces are blended into the noodle.
Then transfer this mixed salad into the clean serving plate. ( We always call this mixed salad as hand tossed mixed noodle salad . )

SPICY OPTION : If we want very very spicy salad, we may add more roasted chili powder or crushed chili pepper for our own spicy taste.

NOTE : Those ingredients could be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days as we can enjoy this healthy meal frequently because it is hard to prepared and takes time for all the preparation. But it is really worth to try making this meal for every food lovers.

Mandalay Vermicelli Soup ( Kyar Zan Chat)

Mandalay Vermicelli Soup ( Mandalay Kyar Zan Chat)

This Noodle soup is a low calorie food that is full of fiber, a good healthy soup for any age. In Burma ( Myanmar), this soup can be  warm and comforting for the rainy days. This bean thread noodle soup is best enjoyed with lemon salad.This particular vermicelli soup is quite spicy with a peppery flavor, an appetizing soup to enjoy anytime as either a meal or snack.

For the families staying in overseas, it can be made with the Rotisserie Chicken  from super markets  to reduce some cooking steps. For Burmese families, the Rotisserie Chicken is a quick meal option for those with busy schedule.
We can create a lot of tasty options including Spicy chicken salad, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Garlic Noodle  ( Si Chat Khaut Swe), Coconut Noodle with chicken and Laksa Noodle.

It is really challenging for families who are away from their own country to find the foods that they love to eat. A lovely characteristic of Burmese families is their sharing of traditional foods at get-togethers. Sharing recipes and cooking tricks are also free lessons after the meal for those who shows their enthusiasm to cook. I will never forget their lectures and recipes as they have been very useful.

 This noodle soup reminds me of our good old time as college students. In the evenings, we used to do shopping at Kamayut Market ( Hle Dan Zay). In that market, a small road side shop that serves very nice and tasty soups. It was also the most popular noodle shop that was only open in the evening for working people and college students. Currently, I am happy to hear that this noodle shop has changed into bigger restaurant.

Mandalay Vermicelli Soup ( Mandaly Kyar Zan Chat)( 5 serving)

3 cups        Cut deboned Rotisserie Chicken meat (cube shape 1/4 inch sq.)
1 cup         Chop onion (Fine chopped)
2 Tbsp       Chopped Garlic ( fine chopped)
2 tsp          Ground black pepper
1 tsp          Chilly Powder
1 Tbsp        Fish sauce
1 cup         Chopped onion ( 1/2 inch sq. ) For soup
10 eggs      Quail egg ( fresh )
10 counts    Fish ball ( ready made fish balls available in supermarkets)
1/2 cup       Wood ear mushroom
1/2 cup       Dried beancurd ( Break into pieces)
1/2 cups      Dried Lily flower
4 oz.           Dried glass noodle ( Chinese bean thread noodle)
4 Qt.           Chicken Broth ( better with Home made)
4 tbsp         Canola oil
1/2 cup       Cilantro ( Coriander) small chop
1/2 cup       Spring onion ( Thin sliced)

Instructions

Prep. for soup

1. We need to soak the dry ingredients such as wood ear mushroom, dried lily flower and dried beancurd in separate bowls with 2 cups of water in each bowl .
2. Boil the qual egg for 5 to 10 minutes to make hard boiled quail egg then peel off all the egg shells.
3. Boil the fish balls to make it soft if they are frozen fish balls.
4. For the chicken broth, we may boil the cut out bone from rotisserie chicken with 3 -4 Qt. of water with ginger, carrot and celery to make healthy broth without preservatives. Simmer with medium low heat for an hour after the broth is boiled.
5. Soak the bean thread noodle in the bowl with large amount of water till the dry noodle are covered. Drain it when it becomes soft.

To cook the soup

1. In the 8 qt pot add oil then put the soup pot on the medium heat. Add fine chopped onion and garlic together with chili powder.

2. When all the onion, garlic  and chili are fragrant, add the cubed cut chicken together with fish sauce and stir thoroughly.

3. When all the onion, garlic, chili powder and chicken are blended in with all ingredients , add the chicken broth into the pan and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

4. After boiling the soup add all the prep ingredients ( wood ear mushroom, Dried bean curd, dried lily flowers, quail egg and fish ball together at the same time.

5.When all the ingredients from step 4 have started boiling, add the chopped onion ( for the soup ) into the pot and let it simmer for 30 more minute.

6. May add either salt or fish sauce to adjust for your own taste.

7. Noodle should be added into the pot just before serving. Otherwise , it may be soggy and lose the chewy texture of the the bean thread noodle.

8. We may boil the noodle for 5 minutes and drain out for better serving option. It is also easy to serve as individual portions.

9. Sprinkle the spring onion and cilantro on top as garnish.  The soup is ready to enjoy with some lime juice and crushed roasted chilly powder ( It is optional to add lime and roasted chilly powder)

10. We could add 2 fish balls and 2 quail eggs for each individual bowl serving.

( Most of the soup taste better the next day but storing in the fridge is recommended, especially if the weather is hot and humid)