Thank You

Thank You

November is a pleasant and happy month of the year for me. I am thankful to my mother for bringing in to this world alive. Also, I do not really know Thanksgiving celebration is the season's eating festival for all Americans. I do not need to explain how Thanksgiving came about America since we could find out in google and it also explains well in Wikipedia.

For me, this celebration first came to my notice when my kindergarten son brought the coloring project of a Big turkey drawn on paper. Then at school, children could bring their grandpa, grandma or parents for Thanksgiving awareness to educate the children. As for me, I was happy that I am able to attend my niece's kindergarten class celebration as she invited me as her favorite person last year also. I am thankful that some love and bonding between all human beings in this world.

In our town, we usually visit this one beautiful family that hosts a Thanksgiving party every year. I usually make the fragrant chicken rice that I enjoyed in Singapore. They always cook the turkey so I bring the rice and spicy chili sauce to go with meat, rice, and vegetable. In this recipe, I will make two sauces that we enjoy meat and green vegetables.

One is Chili garlic sauce and another is Burmese Tomato sauce to enjoy with plain rice. Tomato sauce is also a great accompaniment for some vegetarian dishes. This November, since I am in Singapore, I am able to make authentic chili sauce and also the tomato sauce or Burmese spicy salsa because of fresh red chili padi (Birds eye's chili).

Hot and Spicy Ginger chili sauce ( 10 serving)

Ingredients

1/4 cups   Red Chili padi (small)
1/4 cups   Red Chili padi (big)
2 Tbsp     Fine chopped garlic
3 Tbsp     Fine chopped ginger
1/2 cups   Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp     Fine chopped shallot
4 Tbsp     Fish Sauce
1 lemon    ( or 1/4 cup lemon juice)
2 Tbsp     sugar
1 Tbsp     Vinegar
Salt to taste

Instruction

1. In a clean and dry electric blender, add all the ingredients together at the same time.
2. Blend it until smooth and add a little bit of cold water if needed.
3. We may adjust the taste by adding lemon, salt, and fish sauce to our liking.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spicy Tomato Sauce ( Burmese Spicy Tomato Salsa)

Ingredients

3   Ripen BushalBoy Tomato ( or ) 5,6 Roma tomatoes
3   Red chili padi ( Big)
2   Tbsp Fine chopped garlic
1/4 cups Chopped Cilantro
1 tbsp Light soy sauce
1 tbsp  Fine chopped Thai green chili
2 Tbsp Golden fried garlic oil
1 lime or 1 tbsp lime juice
Salt to taste

Instruction

1. Put the skillet on the stovetop with Medium-high heat, add the chili padi and tomatoes together and cook till charred.
2. When the tomatoes and chili are soft enough to peel off the skin, let it cool down for a while.
3. Peel off the skin from tomatoes and chili. Then put all the ingredients together in the electric chopper. Then chopped it till all the ingredients blended in.
4. Pour the sauce into the clean and dry bowl then cover with plastic wrap.
5. Chill the bowl for a few hours before serving.
( we may use fish sauce for non-vegetarian options. It can be tastier.)

Indonesian Fried Chicken

The Drumsticks are still as good as it is

In my recent trip to Singapore, I was able to visit the Indonesian fried chicken shop with my friend.

The restaurant must be famous for its moist and tender chicken fry. They must have marinated the meat for long hours with local ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, galanga, and lemongrass. The most important sauce for this chicken fry is the chili lime sauce with shrimp paste. In Singapore, most of the Malaysian dishes are popular as local delights, as are Myanmar and Thailand dishes that also use fish sauce and shrimp paste. Therefore the majority of people from Southeast Asia are familiar with those spicy dishes and love them too.

When I first got to the USA, Kentucky fried chicken is not strange to me as we lived long enough in Singapore to get used to this famous American food. I still remember the time my husband’s uncle gave us a treat one weekend at the KFC fried chicken restaurant in Singapore. Just for the conversation, he asked " How many pieces we wanted to eat?" , and we felt like winning the jackpot, to have free dinner treat since we were still the students at that time. When I was pregnant, I could eat 3 pieces of fried chicken unbelievably. Now as we get older, just one-pieces will be enough for me to digest well.

Nature taught us how to live healthy, not to get heavy.

In our childhood days, our mother cooked the chicken for the whole family of six, we could not argue for what type of chicken part one wanted. But when I arrived in America, my first experience of ordering at KFC was to answer the question. “ Do you want Dark meat or white meat?”.  At that time, I have no idea what it meant.  Only later I found out that white meat means chicken breast and dark meat means drumstick and thigh. As the Asian taste, we always prefer to have dark meat since the white meat is dry sometimes. In America, white meat has not much fat and it is tender also popular among locals. Drumsticks are unpopular and, therefore, cheap on the grocery shelves.

As for me I happily want to try making that Indonesian fried chicken at home. 

Also in October, Apple picking is a weekend activity for every family as it is the apple picking season in Minnesota. Therefore I got the idea that the Indonesian fried chicken with apple salad would be a nice end-of-summer treat.

Some modifications in mixing east and west cuisine is also exciting to try.

Indonesian Fried Chicken ( 3-4 Serving)

Ingredients

2 lb  chicken drumsticks

1 tbsp ground fresh ginger

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp Fish sauce

1 stalk lemongrass

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic.

3 cups oil  ( Canola oil)

Instructions

1.  Clean the chicken drumsticks into the french cut and wash with vinegar and water.
2. Marinate for 3 hours with the above ingredients.
3. In the pressure cooker, add the chicken with 1/2 cup of water and steam for 15 minutes.
4. Open the cooker lid and cook till all the water has evaporated.
5. Deep fry the chicken in cooking oil ( canola oil) until golden brown.
6. We may choose to fry the chicken coated in the batter.

To prepare

In the salad plate, we may add romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, apple slices, sliced red onions. Top the fried chicken on the salad with sriracha mayo, Ranch or Ginger sesame dressing as the salad dressing that any kind we could choose to enjoy. Hope you enjoy making it at home. 

( Note) In the Photo: I bought one dill mustard from Wisconsin from my recent summer trip. Therefore I mixed with 1 tablespoon of Dill mustard, 1 teas spoon of white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, salt to taste and pinch of black pepper as the Honey Mustard Dressing for the fried chicken.

Rice Snack

One of a Kind Burmese Snack

This type of Myanmar snack is so popular with every Burmese. Some roadside stalls selling this snack could attract patrons on the road because of its oil and rice batter fragrance. The rice batter infused with ginger juice is also mixed with spring onion and coriander leaves. It is called Mont Oat Ka Lay also known as Mont Lin Ma Yar. The name is funny somehow I have no idea how they named that snack but really delicious.
Once I bought the pan to make this snack cook on a gas stove, but it was not perfect.  After getting the electric pan with mold, it turned out really nice.

The unique taste of this food is simple and tasty.  Cooking with Vatana bean (steamed), cilantro, spring onion, and ginger juice-infused rice batter makes the flavor unique and bold.

Funny to explain this Burmese snack comprising a couple rice cakes are so-called. Yes! the name similar to "husband and wife" in the Burmese language. I guess it is because the two pieces of half-cup mold rice cakes are put together to make as a whole, bite-size snack.
No need to look for " Oh! where is my other half? Just kidding. I am joking too much about food. It is not nice.

It is the same flavor as rice crape that  I wrote about that recipe once. Ingredients are the same but different method of making it.

Most of Myanmar food seems to be adopted from neighboring countries like Thailand, India, and China since we shared common borders. People from our country love to try different types of new food are very creative and like to adapt it to our own taste too.

 Rice Snack

Ingredients

1 cup   Rice powder
2 cup   water or chicken broth
1/4 cup Chopped spring onion
1/4 cup Chopped cilantro
1 tbsp   Ginger juice
1 tsp     Salt
1/2 tsp  Baking soda
1/4 cup Steamed Vatana Bean
1/2 cup Canola oil

Instruction

1. In the bowl, add rice powder, water ( or ) Broth, salt, soda together and stir with whisk evenly.
2. Add the chopped spring onion and cilantro then stir thoroughly.
3. In the electronic mold pan, grease each mold ( makes half of a ball or egg-shaped piece) with oil and let heats up, then add one spoon full of the rice batter).
4. Add 2,4 steamed Vatana bean into each mold.
5. Cook till the rice cups start getting firm and form.
6. Add a little bit of oil into each mold from time to time.
7. Take out one piece from the mold and let this flat surface sit on the other half in the mold.
8. With the heat, they become one egg shape rice snack.
9. We may add a little more oil in each mold of rice to make crispier.
10. When each and every piece turns a golden brown color. Paired with tea or green tea. Enjoy!

One Popular salad in Most Burmese Party Feast

One Popular Salad in Most Burmese Party Feast

Every year, as we participate in a Buddhist cultural celebration. We need to plan for the lunch feast for all the visitors. As I usually volunteer to prepare the salad on most occasions, I always think about this fish cake salad as it is tasty and goes well with most of the Burmese authentic food.

In Myanmar, during the Moonsoon season, Vassa is part of Theravada Buddhism. During this raining season retreat, sons of Buddha must not travel.  They must reside and practice Dhamma in specific monasteries. Thanks to Wikipedia for explaining about Vassa in Myanmar as  Warso Pwe which is usually celebrated on full moon day of this July month.

I will only describe the popular food in Myanmar Patries and celebration. Traditional Burmese party food is Coconut rice, Butter Rice and Biryani Rice ( Adopted from Indian culture popular to Burmese taste). One suitable salad item is added to most of those party dishes. It is also refreshing with lime juice and fried garlic dressing that will help to lighten the rich curry meat dishes.

Fish cake is also a luxury meat substitute protein that has tasty flavor if we made it from fresh feather back fish. Also, I guess fish cake must be a great ingredient in most of the Asian dishes. I am also happy to find out that authentic fish cake that is available at One Asian store near my home. They made is scratch from feather back fish paste and available at the deli counter. I am so grateful that tasty fish cake is prepared ready and easy to make the salad.

Fish Cake and Cabbage Salad  ( 3-4 Serving)

Ingredients

1 pk frozen fish cake (or) 1 pcs fish cake fresh from the deli
1 pcs Red Onion ( very thin sliced)
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
1 lime
1 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tbsp roasted Besan Powder
2 Tbsp golden fried garlic oil with
1 tbsp( cut small green chili)
1 tbsp ( tiny sliced kaffir lime leaves) ( or) 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instruction

1.  Cut the fish cake into 2-3  pieces and put into the 2 qt pan. Add 1/4 cup water.
2. Add a little ( a pinch) turmeric powder, pepper, and a teaspoon fish sauce and boil till all the water evaporated.
3. When the fish cake is cooked through, cool and slice it very thin ( whatever shape you may choose to slice).
4. Slice the red onion into very thin slice rinse with water then strain it then set aside.
5. Sliced the cabbage into very thin slice and also rinse with water and strain it too.
6. In a bowl, add sliced fish cake, sliced onion, and cabbage together with chopped lime leaves.
7. In a small bowl, add freshly squeezed lime juice, roasted besan powder, fish sauce, and garlic oil together then stir it with the whisk. making sure all the sauce and juice mixed.
8. Add this salad dressing from step 7 into the bowl and mixed it well blending together with onion, cabbage, and fish cake.
9. Transfer into the serving bowl and serves with any meat together with Jasmine rice.

Pork curry with pickled mango

Pork Curry with Pickled Mango

Earlier this year, because I stayed with my father in Burma for so long my son seems to miss homemade Burmese food so much. One night, he showed up with his girl and they had dinner with the pork curry that I made. I noticed that her girl also love that curry flavored pork that I cooked.

In our country, we usually cook pork with either tomato or dried mango. But after moving to oversea, my mom in law showed me how to cook pork with pickled mango. We could probably cook pork in different way or style. But this particular dish is the one making us eat it tirelessly. For me, I always cook pork with the special typical pickled mango made with a very special curry powder which we use to buy at home.
The sweetness of that special mango makes the pork tastier and the curry flavor soaks into the meat to make a great fragrant-meat curry.

During my culinary school, I learned that one dish used mustard and gherkins to cook pork chop. It was tasty and flavorful, also an appetizing dish too. I realized that each country has its own way of cooking the same meat but different styles to meet customers' satisfaction. In Burmese dishes, pork dish may be cooked more than 10 varieties. The ones familiar to me include cooking pork with pickled tea leaves, pickled salted bamboo shoot, tomatoes, soy sauce, soybean,  shitake mushroom,  Roselle leaves and there are many more.

One does not know when one is going to leave this world. So I would like to leave this recipe for my son and my other friends as a future reference. By following a clear step by step method on how to cook this delicious pork curry.

Pork Curry with Dried Mango

Ingredients

1 lb        Pork Shoulder meat skin on ( cut into bite-size cubes)
1 lb        Pork Belly meat skin on ( cut into bite-size cubes)
1 cup      Fine chopped onion
2 tbsp     Ginger ( grated)
4 cloves   Garlic Chopped
1 tbsp     Chili Powder
1/2 tsp    Turmeric powder
1 tbsp     Fish sauce
1 tbsp     Light soy sauce
3-4pieces Dried mango
1 tsp       Gram Marsala or curry powder
2            Shallot ( cut into quarters)
2 tsp       Salt
1/4 cups  Canola oil

Instruction

1.  Season the pork cubes with turmeric, salt, soy sauce ahead of time before preparing the onion, ginger, and garlic.

2. In the chopper, add all the cut onion, ginger, and garlic together with the chili powder.

3. In the 4 qt wide cooking pan or dutch oven, add pork from step 1 and add onion, ginger, garlic and chili mixture together with canola oil. Mix everything together with a spoon (or hand) to make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed with the meat. Add a few tbsp (2-3 tbsp) of water.

4. On the stove top with medium-high heat, put the pot and cover. Stir the meat occasionally till all the water has evaporated and there is the hissing sound of oil. Make sure not to burn the meat and onion gravy.

5. Add 2-3 cups of water, enough to cover the meat, and cook with high heat for 10 minutes. Add the cut shallot and dried mango (or Indian styled pickled mango) when the water starts boiling turn down the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Please do not forget to stir the pot occasionally.

6. When the meat is tender, add the curry powder,  stir a little and cover.

5. After 5 minutes of simmering, all the flavors should be blended with flavors. When the water is almost evaporated, it is ready to be served with Jasmine rice. This dish can be paired together with stir-fried mix vegetable or steamed vegetables.

Most Delightful Memory

 Most Delightful Memory

In my recent trip to Singapore, I was lucky to visit the newly opened Jewel garden at Singapore Changi Airport. It is popular because it has lots of shop spaces and beautiful funnel-shaped waterfall. When we went it was crowded and so could not roam around peacefully. Me, my elder sister and my husband's Brother and his wife planned the visit after our great lunch-Chicken Rice of course ( Singapore's most popular hawker food).

When we arrived at the Jewel Garden, most of the people were in wonder as to how this huge indoor garden with skylight was built. Also, some people were excited to take photos here and there including me. One funny thing was that when I chose the spot and asked my sis to take pictures, one lady came and showed my sister how to choose the right view and angle to get a good photo.   OK! my sister gave me a huge smile and took photos. I was happy and appreciated the act of kindness of the stranger even though it was a small thing.

Another coincidence as we walked through the shops, and one of the fondest memory of my life, was to find a bakery saloon. As soon as it caught my eyes prompted me to walk straight into that store. Its name? " Bangawan Solo".  This bakery is popular among the Singaporean because of its unique taste of Asian deserts never fail to comfort the customer's taste. I was amazed to see the shop space is decorated with classic and majestic European style to attract customers.

On its shelves, There was a huge variety of cookies and authentic Indonesian deserts made with rice flour. Most of them use palm sugar and are quite similar to my country's deserts.
Also, samples of each and every cookie were available just to taste, but I couldn't find an oatmeal cookie sample. So I asked the lady who seemed like the shop admin staff. " Excuse me, Ma'am, will you let me try an oatmeal cookie if its sample available? " The lady smiled at me and got some from behind the counter. Then  I saw the coffee flavored oatmeal cookie but no sample display. Therefore I asked her again " I am also interested to sample this coffee flavor, may I ?".  I was thinking " Oh!  I might make her mad but I really want to try that one honestly". But she was quietly smiling and got the coffee cookie sample for me from the cupboard behind the counter. After trying that coffee flavored cookie, I was so pleased and smiled at her. She seems so delighted to see how I enjoyed her cookie. I decided to buy two boxes of cookie for my home. Then I realized " Oh My God! She must be the owner and founder of Bangawan Solo Deli ( Famous Authentic Indonesian Deli in Singapore)??. I had read about her story when I stayed in Singapore more than 20 years ago. I admired her as the woman entrepreneur who came from Indonesia. I asked my sis " Is she the owner ?". My sis said "Yes".
Then I requested her to take a photo with me in the shop and she kindly complied.
 Even though she is a famous businesswoman ( of course a rich millionaire) she is humble to do her own job. I felt very lucky to meet her personally and made me respect her more.

Palm sugar is the most flavorful sugar substitute for making Burmese sweet desert since cane sugar is an expensive product. But now it may be scarce because palm trees are being cut down for some countries' commercials demand. I hope our country can preserve the tradition and culture of producing palm sugar well. I made this dessert at home in honor of her Indonesian deserts which is made with sweet rice once I enjoyed.

Katri Solo ( Pressed sweet rice with Brown sugar custard) ( 5-10 Serving)

Ingredients

3 cup      Sweet Rice ( glutenous rice)
1/2 cup   Sugar
3 cup      Brown Sugar
7 count   eggs
7 tbsp     Rice Flour
2 tsp       Salt
3 cans    Coconut milk ( 8 oz can)
1 tsp       Oil ( to grease the baking pan)

Instructions

1. Measure 3 cups of rice in the rice cooker and wash with water 1-2 time to rinse. Then add one can of coconut milk, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup sugar and 2 cups of water Then cook.
2. In the small pot add brown sugar with a cup of water, then boil till all the sugar melted and thicken. Then let it cool till warm.
3. In the Bowl, add rice flour, brown sugar syrup, salt, and 2 cans coconut milk together and stir or whisk till all the rice flour dissolved.
4. When the rice is cooked, In the oil ( olive or canola oil) greased baking pan, add the rice and pressed till it is of 1/2 inch in thickness. Set it aside.
5. In the bowl, cracked all the eggs and add the brown sugar coconut mixture( step 3). Then mix thoroughly and pour on top of the pressed sweet rice.
6. In the oven with 375 degrees F in a water tray. Cover the food tray completely with aluminum foil and steam the custard till thicken like soft pudding. (Maybe about 2 hours or more.)
7. OR in the steamer insert with boiling pot. put the tray inside and cover then stem till custard are firmly formed. about 1.5 hours.
8. When the custard is ready, cool it completely cold and then store in the fridge.
9. After a few hours (2-3) hours. The rice cake with brown sugar custard is ready to be cut into small pieces.
10. paring it with Jasmine tea or green tea makes a good dessert or an afternoon snack too.

Feather Back Fish Dish

Stuffed Fish stew with Chili Broth

This type of fish soup is one of a kind that made us remember our mom. As a delta region residence, my mother cooked different types of fish as a main meal for the family.
Roasted rice and lemon grass are the key ingredients to give this fish dish a unique flavor.
As a child, I hated this dish because of the small bones in the fish meat. But our mom never gave in to cook what we want because of 4 siblings having different choices. We noticed that she always cooked what our father loved to eat. We learned to compromise and ate what my mom prepared for our family dinner.


She always talked about this fish dish that she was thankful to her mother in law. Our Grandma let her join dinner with them when she returned from work as a high school teacher in the evening on her way back home. She told us about this story every time she cooks this dish. In a small town or a big city, some Myanmar families show their hospitality by inviting the guests to join in if they happen to pay a visit at lunch or dinner time. It is a beautiful, courteous habit of the people or maybe a Myanmar culture that is also familiar to me.


I have come to love this dish as it is sweet and flavorful with the lemongrass, to enjoy with side vegetables and salty shrimp paste dip. We can substitute with lake trout to make a similar dish too.


The most tricky part to prepare this dish is separating the meat from the bones after pounding the fish. The purpose of pounding it is to make sure fish meat is chewy and flavored with chili ginger paste. It is also a traditional delta region food. It may not be suitable to be served in the USA because of law and regulations. We might get sued for serving this fish with some inadvertent bones in it. As for me, I still need to try once again while I am in my motherland.

Stuffed Fish Stew in chili broth

Ingredients

2 lb      2 counts Medium size feather back whole fish ( scaled and cleaned)
1 cup    Fine Chopped onion
1/4 cup Fine Chopped Ginger
2 tbsp   Fish Sauce
1 tsp     Turmeric powder
2 tbsp   Chilli powder
2 stalk   Lemongrass ( pounded)
2 tbsp    Roasted Rice powder
4 tbsp    Oil

Instruction

1. Pound the fish with the back of a big knife or meat tenderizer. for about 10-20 minutes.
2. Cut open the fish just by slicing both sides as the photos.
3. Debone the fish then pound the fish meat a little more with salt and food tenderizer.
4. Mix the chili powder, chopped onion, and ginger together in a bowl and divide into 2 portions.
5. Spread half of the chili mixture into the fish meat and cut into 3 pieces equally.
6. Then roll each piece and set aside.
7. In the 4 Qt pot or pan, add oil and heat with medium-high heat.
8. Stir fry the chili mixture and cook for 5 min till fragrant.
9. Add the prepared fish rolls into the pan together with pounded lemongrass.
10. Sprinkle fish sauce on the fish and add roasted rice powder.
11. When all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed by stirring, add 2-3 cups of water.
12. Cover the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes till fish is cooked and add salt to taste.
13. This dish can be accompanied by vegetable salad or stir fry vegetables.

Peppery Grilled Catfish Stew

Peppery Grilled Catfish Stew

Lemon, Lemongrass, garlic, and black pepper always play their part to flavor the good fish stew. We are used to eating fish dishes that our mom cooked in several different ways as for our dinner or lunch. This year, as I am in my original home country for the annual get together, I got a chance to see the progress of the development that indicates Yangon is improving.

To cite a few, the traffic is flowing smoothly unless if it is office hours ( peak hours 7:30 am-10:00 am). Some young women are working as professionals who are the support system of a developed country, some ethical drivers are showing some kindness by generously giving the way, some people are looking for the trash bin to throw the trash instead of throwing it on the road. Some authorities are also campaigning not to throw the trash and not to spit on the road.

Also noticed that our country's rich cultural heritage, reflected by the different variety of art and creativity since ancient time is maintained. To raise the Education level, some families working to discard the old way of teaching, and to adopt the multimedia tools that can reach out to many. Our country is really striving for developed and real democratic country status

Oh.. I am so excited to tell the story about the improvements in my motherland. But...

Let's talk about food. My sister's friend wanted to cook like mom's catfish recipe that she tasted once from my sis's lunch box. Our mother said that cooking is sometimes tricky. You cook with your eyes, you cook with your nose above all you cook with love with all your heart. What a wonderful concept of how to cook food. I love my mom's words since they remind me as of sweet memories. This Asian grilled catfish stew recipe is adapted from my paternal grandma's recipe. My mom used to mentions about how good my grandma's food was and how she enjoyed it when she worked as a young teacher. That was the time before I was even born. This peppery fish stew is also one of a kind too.

Peppery Grilled Catfish Stew ( 2-3 Serving)

Ingredients

2 Lb       Whole catfish ( 2-3 counts)
1/2 cups Chopped onion
1/4 cups Chopped garlic
1 tbsp     finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp     freshly roasted ground pepper
1.5 Tbsp  Chili Powder
1 Tbsp     Fish sauce
1 tsp       Turmeric powder
1 Stalk     Lemongrass
1/4 cup    Canola oil

Instructions

1.  Grill the whole catfish on the grill or wood fire with medium heat till it's skin start cooking as skin in its own oil. About 5-10 minutes. Then let it cool.
2. Wash all the blacken stuff from the fish because of grilling burnt skin. Then Cut the grilled fish into bite-size pieces.
3. Season the fish pieces with turmeric powder, salt, and pepper together with 1 tsp fish sauce.
4. In the nonstick pan, add oil and stir fry the chopped onion, ginger and garlic together with chili powder.
5. When all the ingredients are fragrant, add seasoned fish pieces into the pan together with a pounded lemongrass stalk.
6. Add the rest of the fish sauce and cook till all the water has evaporated. Then stir gently to season well with the fish and chili stir fry.
7. Cook the fish start sticking to the pan and start smoking fragrant.
8. Add 1.5 cups of water and cover and cook with medium-high heat.
9. when the pan starts boiling, turn down the heat to simmer.
10. When the water is evaporated halfway, turn off the heat. It is ready to serve with hot Jasmine rice.

When you have the Rotisserie Chicken

When you have the Rotisserie Chicken

One would never get tired of this chicken salad as the side dish for every meal.
Since our young days, every Chinese restaurant has this on its menu, since Myanmar love spicy and sour food. We seldom make this at home since it is also easy to make it as the appetizer. As rotisserie chicken is easily available, we can use it to transforms into cashew chicken salad for the chicken salad sandwich. Or into many Asian flavored dishes to make it as an easy meal.

As a mom, I always need to think of how to make an easy and delicious meal for the family. I could say that this is not true only for me, but for all the moms in this world who take care of their families, being as a mother. This rotisserie chicken has become very handy since we arrive in America. Since the price also a little cheaper than raw chicken sometimes, why not choosing the win-win situation by cutting down the price and also the cooking steps.

Sometimes my mom friends from other countries also shared different recipes in many other ways too. This recipe that I am sharing is the Chinese style but cold salad which can also be packed as the summer salad to enjoy with rice for family picnics ( suppose to be in cooler ( Icebox) ).
It has Chili, soy sauce and lime juice, thus giving it a little kick for everybody's taste bud and appetizing too. I always make this salad with some portion of dark meat every time I bought Rotisserie chicken from Deli. However, In this recipe, I used steamed chicken because I wanted to start from scratch. No brainer, we can easily make with rotisserie chicken meat for busy families.

Sour and Spicy Chicken Salad ( 2-3 Serving)

 Steamed Chicken ( Step 1)

 Ingredients

1/2        Chicken ( cut into pieces ) ( both dark meat and white meat)
4 sliced  Ginger
1 tbsp    Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp   Salt
1/4 tsp   Black pepper

Dressing ( Step 2)

1 tbsp  Crushed red pepper chili flakes
1 tsp    Red chili powder
4 tbsp  Canola oil
3 tbsp  Chopped Garlic
1/2 cup Cilantro (rough chopped)
1 tbsp   Light Soy sauce
1 tsp    Sesame Oil
1 Count Lime
6-8 count Lettuce leaves ( any kind for garnish)

Instructions

1. In the pan, add chicken pieces and all the ingredient from Step 1. Then add enough water to cover the chicken.
2. On the stove top with medium-high heat, boil that chicken for 15 minutes till rolling boil.
3. Turn down the heat and cook for 10 or 15 minutes to make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
4. While chicken is cooking, make the chili oil, in the skillet on the stove top, add oil with medium heat fry both chili flakes and powder for 5-10 minutes till fragrant.
( Note: making chili oil: frying the chili powder and chili flakes can easily burn. To avoid this mix the chili powder and chili flakes in a bowl with 1or 2 tbsp of water then fry.
5. When the chicken is cooked, take out the meats from the bone and slice into thick pieces. Set aside in a bowl.

Making Dressing

6. In the mixing bowl, add 2 tbsp of fried chili oil from step 4, Then add the rest of the ingredient from step 2  (Chopped garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, sesame oil) then mix it thoroughly. ( We may add 1 tsp sugar but this is totally optional)
7. Pour the dressing onto the sliced teamed chicken pieces then mix and taste. We may add salt or lime according to our own taste.
8. On the serving plate, lay the prewashed lettuce leaves and put the mixed chicken salad on top, sprinkle the remaining cilantro for the final garnishing touch.
9. We may layer the thinly sliced tomato pieces around the salad, just to add color.
10. Enjoy with either brown rice or white rice to your preference.

Steam Duck and Pickled Mustard Leaves Soup

Steamed Duck ( Double-Boiled Duck) with Pickled Mustard Leaves Soup

As The Chinese New Year is in the first week of February this year, I remember the days when we used to pray with a big feast to celebrate the new year as my father of Chinese Ancestry. It must have been a miracle that night when my mom dreamt about an old Chinese guy she never met before. In her dream he asked " Dear daughter, may I have some stir fry Noodle with pork?". My mom had never seen her father-in-law because my dad once told me that my grandpa passed away when dad was ten years old.

So my father showed her a very old, faded photograph of his father. My mom was shocked and said yes he was the man in her dream. Starting from that day we had celebrated the Chinese New Year by praying with a big feast at home in Myanmar. When we move to this country, we do not uphold the cultural and spiritual related pujas but pray every day in our prayer room at home. Even our Mom told us that it might be a hassle, and said: "please remember to pray and recite our Buddha's teaching though, which may be enough".

This double boiled duck soup is also a great accompaniment for Chinese dishes, as the sour flavor of pickled mustard could lighten up the rich and sweet Chinese food.
We may also make the doubled boil duck with wonton noodle by using this duck too. It is also a good nutritional dish for sick patients to stimulate their appetite as well.

I made pickled mustard leaves this year as I got fresh greens from the farmers market. It turns out to be perfect, flavorful, homemade pickled mustard leaves without preservative.
But we could also buy easily from the Asian grocery store here.

Steamed Duck (Double-Boiled Duck) Soup  with Pickled Mustard Leaves

 ( 5-6 Serving)

Ingredients

1 count  Duck ( thawed and cut into pieces as preferred)
1 bulb Garlic  ( Or 10 Cloves of garlic)
2 Tbsp Sliced ginger
2 Tbsp Light Soy sauce
1 tsp   White pepper
1 tsp   Black pepper
2 tsp   Salt
1 tsp Sugar
2 count Roma Tomatoes ( Cut into big cubed )
4 count green Chili ( Sliced half to each chili)
1 box   Medium firm tofu ( optional: cut small cubed)
1 pack  Pickled Mustard ( about 10 oz) ( or 2 cups cut pickled mustard)

Instructions

1. In the steel bowl, add chopped duck pieces, ginger, pepper ( both white and black), garlic ( pounded lightly), soy sauce and salt then mix thoroughly.

2. Put this marinated meat into a big ceramic bowl and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

3. In the 8 Qt soup pot or dutch oven, add water about 4-6 inches high then put this bowl in the middle. ( Note: water level should be lower the hight of the bowl. So the boiling water won't get into the bowl).

4. Cover the pot and boil for 2 hours with medium-high heat on the stove. Occasionally check the water level in the pot, if it is low we may need to add 2 cups of water at a time.

5. After two hours of cooking time, test the meat is fork tender, then we turn off the stove.

( Note: To cut down the cooking time, we may use the pressure cooker by following the same procedure. It can be cooked within an hour.)

Making soup

6. In the 8 qt soup pot, add 3-4 cups of water ( chicken broth) and let it boil with medium-high heat.

7. When it boils, add the doubled boiled cooked duck, then add chopped pickled mustard, tomato and halved green chili altogether.

8. Cover and let it boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Then test the mustard leaves to make sure they are soft.

9. Then cut tofu into the pot and let it boil again for 15 more minutes. ( We may omit  tofu, it is optional )

10. Taste the soup, we may add salt to our own taste.

( Note: If we need the more sour taste, add more tomatoes or vinegar to adjust the taste.)

Nopale Cactus

The Vegetable that can grow in Upper Burma

When I arrive in the United States, I found one vegetable with some prickly thorn on the shelf of the groceries. I didn't know that it was edible, later I found out that vegetable has the same taste as my mother cooked when we were in Burma. But the shape is different. It is called "Tazaung Chin" in Myanmar. It must be grown organically in the wild since it is not that popular in the market.

In my childhood memory, this plant was grown as an ornamental landscape plant in the Military Children Hospital compound.
Mostly I could remember it as a decorated ornamental landscape plant. I tried to find out how good this vegetable for eating. Also, some cacti have very good nutritional and medicinal values in themselves.

Also, some cactus has very good nutrition and medicinal value themselves.

This cactus species is called Nopales ( in Spanish) pad here.
In Mexico, numerous dishes of authentic Mexican food are cooked with Nopales pad. It has strong antioxidants and may help support the immune system and detoxification. It also has the power of healing wounds, cuts, and fractures. I also found out that it can reduce the blood sugar level too.

Because of its great value, it is grown, harvest and export to North America.
In America, some home in Arizona they grow this plant as an ornamental plant also used as an edible vegetable. Bunny ear cactus which is similar species to Nopales cactus also named as prickly pears cactus.

I think the geographical conditions in Myanmar will also be able to support the growth of Nopales Cactus.

 Some stores sell this vegetable as it is, with thorn. I hate to cut out these thorns so I didn't cook frequently. Later I found out that, cleaned and ready to cook packs are sold at the  Mexican grocery stores in Califonia. I was so happy and I cook this vegetable in Myanmar way as my mother made for us as olden days.

Nopales Cactus Stir Fry ( 2-3 Serving)

Ingredients

3 cups     Sliced ( cleaned Nopales Cactus)
6  count  Deveined and butterfly Shrimp  ( marinate with a pinch of salt)
1 onion   Thinly Sliced
3 garlic   Thinly Sliced
3 tbsp     Canola Oil
1 tbsp     Fish Sauce
2 count   Chopped Green chili ( or Jalapeno Pepper)
1/2 tsp    Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste.

Instruction

1. On the stove top, put the large skillet or Chinese wok with medium-high heat.
2.  Add oil then add onion, garlic, and turmeric powder together and stir.
3. When the onion and garlic are fragrant and translucent, add the seasoned shrimp.
4. Stir the shrimp and onion to mix it well then add fish sauce.
5. When all the shrimp, onion, garlic and fish sauce are blended in and becoming fragrant, then add the sliced cactus and stir to blend all the ingredients.
6. We may not need to add water because of its rich water content. Cover the skillet and cook till all the water evaporated.
7. When all the water is gone and add the chopped green chili to add a little heat and flavor. (It is optional adding the green chili.)
8. We may add a pinch of salt to taste and stir for 3 more minutes.
9. It is a fast and easy vegetable side dish option to pair with any meat curry too.