Something to Wrap...
We grew up with the Myanmar food and other delicious ethnic food in our country since we were young. From those varieties of food, one is called Hin Htote in the eastern part of Burma make me think of making myself at home. This one is also similar to the Tamale in Spanish cuisine.
In Myanmar, wrap up rice related food are in the different array we could choose to eat either as a dessert (sweet) or savory snack. Here in America, one of my favorite wrapped food is called Tamale. It has different variety and made with the variety of meat stuffing. Also, it is steamed and the taste is moist and spicy too. Maybe because of the sauce used to eat together with.
I am always thinking of using the ingredients available here to mix and match with my native country flavor. In Burma, the sweet rice ( sticky rice) related food is popular among local people. I'll try to make the sweet rice variety filled with coconut and shrimp filling, wrapped in Banan leaves and steam. Also, the Shan style Hin Htote with honey ham might be a great flavor I could imagine. Instead of using banana leaves since I stay in Midwest, I am trying with corn husk as a wrapping material for that Burmese food.
It is really a trial, and I am not sure about the outcome of its taste and flavor. But I can't wait to make it happen.
Steamed Sweet rice with shrimp and coconut filling. ( 4-5 serving)
Ingredients
1 bag Dried Corn Husk (soak in warm water for more than 1 hour)
3 cup Sweet rice soaked overnight
1 cup Shrimp finely chopped
2 tbsp fried onion ( fried shallot)
1 cup Coconut milk
1 cup Shredded coconut
1 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt ( one for shrimp and one for sweet rice seasoning)
2 tbsp Canola oil
Instruction
1. In the skillet on the stove with medium-high heat, add the oil then stir the chopped shrimp ( seasoned with 1tsp of salt) till all the water from shrimp evaporated and shrimp is turned into the pink color.
2. Add the shredded coconut and fried onion into the pan and stir till all ingredients are well-mixed and fragrant.
3. In the bowl, add strained soaked sweet rice, coconut milk, sugar and salt mix thoroughly.
4. In the steamer or pressure cooker add 2 inches of water and put the steamer insert
And ready.
5. In 2 to 3 corn husk could hold the sweet rice wrap. get the soaked rice and put the shrimp in the center and hold together and wrap . with a toothpick. We should make the wrap in loosely as because of the rice will expand during the cooking process.
6. Steam with medium-high heat for 40 minutes in the pressure cooker or 1.5 hour in the normal steamer.
7. Enjoy the steam sweet rice with chili sauce or whatever sauce you may choose.
8. We may also grill this steamed rice wrap on low medium heat to enjoy the smoky grilling flavor.
Hinn Htote
1. Mix 2 cups of rice powder with thinly sliced 1 cup spring onion and 1/2 cup garlic chives.
2. Add 2 cups of chicken broth to get the flavor. May add the salt and pepper. It is optional.
3. Add 2 tbsp cornstarch to make thicken like the pancake batter.
4. We may add the 1 tbsp chopped honey ham to get the meaty and salty flavor.
5. We could use either banana leaves or corn husk to wrap and steam as above method.
