When the Authentic Local Ingredients Rule...

When we went back to our motherland, it was exciting to see local food and local product that once faded away. During our holiday season, we went back home to meet families and friends. We all enjoyed local food such as sticky rice baked in the bamboo rod, rice crepe, crispy rice cracker and coconut filled sticky rice ball.

In Myanmar ( Burma), the different tribes, with different cultures, have their own identities in portraying local authentic food that makes our people fall in love with. Most of the Burmese Food is tasty and authentically prepared with different ingredients. As for the sweet desserts, those are prepared with the palm sugar. The palm sugar is the most authentic main ingredient that we obtained and produced from the palm trees.

In the meantime of staying in (Myanmar) Burma, I would like to take the opportunity of getting the fresh ingredient to cook rice noodle dish that I fell in love with. The " freshly prepared" rice noodle is fermented and is authentic. Because we always have to cook with dry rice noodle that is imported from other countries.

That fermentation process is complicated and must be precise to yield a perfectly fermented noodle product. In my homeland though, this type of fresh noodle is available at the market everywhere. This savory rice noodle dish is almost similar to Mon_Hin-ga ( Burmese National Food).

Rice Noodle with Catfish Broth ( 5 serving)

( Kho Daung Mont Ti)

Ingredients

1 lb          Boiled Rice Noodle  ( As instruction from the packet)        
1 cup       Onion or Shallot ( Thin Sliced)
0.5 cup     Garlic ( Thin Sliced)
1.5 cup     Oil
1  tsp        Turmeric Powder
0.5 cup     Smashed Lemongrass
0.5 cup     Rice powder
1 lb           Catfish (boneless, skinless)
1tsp          Black pepper
2 tsp         Chili powder
1tbsp        Crushed Garlic ( For the soup)
1tbsp        Crushed ginger ( For the soup)
1 cup        Onion ( Cubed) ( For the soup)
3 tbsp       Fish Sauce
1 cup        Chopped Cilantro
5 tsp         Roasted Besan Powder (optional)
3 egg        Hard Boiled and sliced (optional)
3 Tbsp      Tamarind Juice ( soaked with water and tamarind paste)

Instructions

Making Onion Flavored Oil

1. In the pan, pour 1.25 cup of oil and heat with medium-high.
2. When the oil is hot, add onion ( sliced shallot preferred). Sliced garlic and turmeric powder. Stir frequently and cook until the onion is golden brown.
3. Pour into the glass or ceramic bowl and let it cool down.

Making Soup

1. In the 5 qt pot, add catfish smashed lemongrass, ginger, 1 tbsp fish sauce, a pinch of turmeric powder, two cups of water and boil for 30 minute.

2. When the fish meat is softened take out from the pot. Set it aside.

3. Mix the rice powder with a cup of water and pour it into the soup pot that we formerly boiled fish. and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

4. In the stir fry pan, add the rest of the oil and stir and cook with ginger, garlic, and fish meat together with pepper and fish sauce.

5. When the fish is fragrant with its own flavor, add those into the soup pot together with cubed onion. Then let it simmer for another 30 minutes. Then add salt to your own taste.

6. When the soup is ready,

Fixing one serving:  in the bowl add boiled rice noodle 1 cup, onion flavored oil, 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 tbsp tamarind sauce, roasted besan 1/2 tsp, top with cilantro and hard-boiled egg.

7. Pour 1.5 cup soup into the bowl and enjoy the noodle while it is hot. We may add roasted crushed pepper for the spicy option.