One EEL dish..That we grew up with

One EEL Dish

In America, eel fish must be familiar to some restaurant-goers. In most Japanese restaurant Unagi sushi is made with teriyaki-flavored grilled Eel. Most people may love that sushi too. After more than 15 years stay in Minnesota, many restaurants and more diversified menu available in the metro area. Korean, Middle Eastern, Indian restaurants and of course Chinese restaurant too.

As I am the fan of every type of food, I would try most of them if I have the chance. In my memory, the one eel dish has been our favorite since we were little. Some weekends, our dad brought us to enjoy the Chinese dinner and the movie. Each of us could choose one dish that we liked. That spicy Eel dish is the favorite that we all agree to order. It is a simple dish cooked with black bean sauce, chili, and garlic. But the method of cooking depends on how this dish is cooked with the big flame.

 That stir fry dish is spicy with its own unique ingredient.It is flavored with Beansprout. I tried to order this dish from Szcheuan restaurant once, but the taste was not quite the same as we use to eat in Yangon, Myanmar ( Rangoon, Burma).

Therefore I tried to make this dish several times at home similar to that restaurant in Yangon, Burma.
Not that bad, eatable. In Burma, that dish is super tasty at the Golden Duck Restaurant. Because of its very delicious roasted duck which is also signature gourmet food, that restaurant is popular among restaurant-goer and tourists.

This restaurant was also my mom's favorite because she loves the Chinese food from this restaurant. Every time I visit Burma,  that restaurant is a must go for good dinner. That dish is also very good spicy dish to pair with other food too. Till today, the taste is still authentic as it was in our childhood days.

Hot and Spicy Eel ( 2-3 Serving)

Ingredients

1 bag ( 14 oz) Frozen Eel. ( taste better if fresh)
8 oz               Bean Sprout
1/2 cups         Garlic  ( finely chopped)
1/2 cups         Spring Onion ( cut 1 inch long)
1 tbsp            Fine chopped Fresh Red Chili
1 tbsp            Grated Ginger
1 tbsp            Soy sauce ( light)
1 tbsp              Black Bean Sauce
1 tbsp            Sri Racha Sambal Oelek
1 tbsp            Corn Starch mix with 1/2 cups of broth
1 tsp              Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp           Szcheuan Pepper Corn (pounded)
1/2 cups         Canola Oil
1 tbsp             vinegar
1 tbsp             White wine
1 tsp               fine paprika powder
1 cup              Cut cilantro to garnish

Instruction

Prep 1:   Boil the ell in boiling hot water for 5 -10 minute the strain out from the hot water.
             Remove the meat gently from the bone. Season the fish meat with
             pepper and salt.

Prep 2:  In a small bowl, add chopped garlic, paprika powder and vinegar with 2 tbsp of garlic. Mix well.

Prep 3:  In a small bowl add Sri Racha Samba Oelek, soy sauce, 1tsp sugar and black bean sauce. Mix well.

1. Heat the oil in a Chinese Wok over high heat. Then add ginger, Add prep 2. Then stir till chili, garlic and ginger are fragrant. Add the prep 1 together and stir.

2. Add white wine then stir 2-3 minutes over the big flame.

3. Add prep 3 to the Wok and stir.

4. Add the cornstarch with broth pour it on top together with crushed Sichuan peppercorn.

5. Stir 3-4 minutes then add the bean sprout with spring onion into the wok and stir for 3-5 minutes.

6. Then pour into the serving plate. garnish with fresh chopped garlic and cut cilantro.

( Note:  This spicy dish is suitable to pair with either soup or sweet and sour meat dish. Of course to enjoy with white jasmine rice)

Kaw Yay Khaut Swae

Noodle with Thick Starchy Soup ( Kaw Yay Khaut Swae)

This year, I went back to Burma and then transited in Singapore. I tried to have different kind of street food like Mont Hin Nga ( national food of Burma) at the different restaurant because of their different cooking style. Tried a lot of local favorites too.

But in Singapore, we always go for the local favorite food wherever it is available. As the country is more population has different nationalities, there is a vibrant array of food choices everywhere. In Singapore, the local " Lor Mee" noodle is quite similar to Burma's Chinese street food is hard to find in most of the food court. Instead, there is more variety of Vietnamese noodle store and Korean delight food stall are popular in the food court area. Maybe the market keeps on changing because of customers' choices and popularity. And the trend of food court culture also keeps on changing for the second generation as time goes by.

As for me, whatever the new generation fusion food may be selling, I always look for the local classic delight as I appreciate its value and classic tradition.

To be honest, I love the Noodle in Burmese way because of it's starchy soup and healthy ingredients in it. And the good thing about the noodle is spicy and very comforting.
The vegetables that we use in this noodle are water spinach and bean sprout that is only available at Asian groceries stores.

To my knowledge, this type of noodle is the native food from the southeastern part of Burma. Who knows we may have adopted from other countries and modified it to local taste. As we are sharing the same earth on this amazing planet.

For me, I appreciate all types of food that have their own beauty and individuality.

Noodle with Thick Starchy Soup ( Kaw Yay Khaut Swe - 8 serving)

Ingredients

1 bag   Wonton Noodle ( Flat Noodle preferable)
2 lb      Chicken, Pork or Duck ( with bone)
1/2 cup Garlic ( Finely Chopped)
1/2 cup Wood ear dried mushroom ( soak in water for 1 hr.)
3 tsp   Shrimp paste
2 tbsp   Ginger
1 tbsp   Thai Green Chili
1 tbsp   Lime juice
1 bunch Water Spinach
8 oz      Bean Sprout
3 tbsp   Soy Sauce ( Dark Thick)
2 tbsp   Soy Sauce ( light)
1 cup    Corn Starch
1 cup    Spring onion or chives
1 cup    Canola Oil
2 tbsp   Sugar
2 Tbsp  Salt
2 counts Egg

Instructions

1. In the 8qt pot, add the choice of meat add water to cover meat, soy sauce (light), 1 tbsp salt, sugar and let it boil for 30 minutes. ( For pork it may take a longer time to simmer).

2. Wood ear mushrooms(dried) should be soaked in water for overnight or for 1 to 2 hrs ahead of cooking.

3. Rinse the water spinach with lots of water 2-3 times. It may have sand.

4. In the skillet, heat the oil and fry the finely chopped garlic until golden brown to make garlic oil. Set aside and cool in the glass or ceramic bowl.

5. Cut the chives or spring onion into small slices and set aside.

6. Boil the wanton noodle in 8 QT pot and strain. Then rinse in the cold water.

7. After boiling the meat, take out the meat from the pot and separate the meat and bone.

8. Bones should be back to the soup pot and simmer for more hours to make sure to get good broth.

9. Put the starch in the small bowl then add 2 cups of water to stir thoroughly. Then pour it into the boiling broth. Then stir for 1 minute to make sure all the starch mixed in the broth.

10. Add dark soy sauce, sugar, add light soy sauce if we need for the taste.

11. Cut the meat into small pieces, stir in the fried garlic skillet and add a little salt and pepper.

12. Rinse the soaked mushroom 3-4 time with lots of water to clear the sand and other small particles. Then slice if the mushrooms are too big. Add it to the broth and stir. let it simmer for 15 minutes.

13. When the broth is boiling. Beat the eggs with a fork then pour into the boiling broth and stir quickly until the whipped eggs are opaque. Let the broth simmer for 30 more minutes.

14. To Prepare the noodle bowl, add the single portion into the bowl, add meat ( 1 tbsp), add garlic fragrant oil ( 1 tsp). add blanched water spinach and beansprout.

15. Pour the boiling meat broth ( about 2 cups) onto the noodle garnish with chives or spring onion.

16. It is optional to add the spicy shrimp paste to get the bold and spicy flavor.

Spicy Shrimp Paste

1. Wrap the shrimp paste with Aluminium foil and grill it on stove or toaster oven for 3-4 minutes.
2. In the mortar or pastel, add the green chili and 2 cloves of garlic and grilled shrimp paste.
3. scoop out into the bowl and squeeze fresh lime juice and stir. Add sugar and salt to adjust our own taste.