Myanmar (also called Burma) is located in the continents of Asia. It has China to the north, Laos to the east, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to the southeast, the Indian Ocean to the south, India, Bangladesh and Nepal to the west, and Bhutan to the northwest.
The capital is Nay Pyi Taw.
The official language is Myanmar (Burmese).
The climate has three seasons: cool and relatively dry in the northeast monsoon from late October to mid-February, hot, dry intermonsoonal season from mid-February to mid-May and the rainy in the southwest monsoon from mid-May to late October.
The staple food are rice (various like boiled, fried, and glutinous), noodles, eggplant, okra, Bok choy, mangoes, papayas, bananas, pork, chicken, beef, mutton, shrimp, squid and so much more (https://chefreader.com/what-are-the-staple-foods-in-myanmar-cuisine/).
https://www.britannica.com/place/Myanmar
CREAMY COCONUT BURMESE CHICKEN CURRY (https://dobbernationloves.com/food-drink/burmese-chicken-curry-recipe/):
- 1-1/2 lb. Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
- 1 TBSP garlic cloves, minced
- 1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 red chiles, seeded and minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp fresh turmeric, finely chopped
- 1 TBSP fish sauce
- 1 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 C water
- 1 C coconut cream
- 2 TBSP scallions, finely chopped
- Fried shallots, garnish
- Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl.
- Pound together the garlic, ginger, salt, chiles, coriander, turmeric, and brown sugar in a mortar and pestle or food processor.
- Stir the fish sauce into the paste and add to the chicken.
- Turn and mix the chicken and paste until the pieces are well coated.
- Place in a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid and stir and mix well.
- Add water and coconut cream then place over medium-low heat, with lid on, and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until all the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve hot topped with chopped scallions and fried shallots.
I chose to used chicken breast and it still turned out very delicious. I will have to make this again with chicken thighs. The flavors are amazing!!! Next time I will make more of a soup base with the coconut cream!
STEAMED VEGGIES:
What is there NOT to love about steamed veggies of any kind!! They added a great level of flavor to the chicken!
SANWEI MAKIN (BURMESE SEMOLINA CAKE (https://www.wandercooks.com/burmese-semolina-cake/):
- ¾ C (170g) coarse semolina
- 1 C (200g) brown sugar
- 1-3/4 C (400ml) coconut cream
- 1-3/4 C (400ml) water
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 4 TBSP butter
- Pinch salt
Optional toppings:
- White poppy seeds
- White sesame seeds
- Desiccated coconut
- Preheat oven to 320F (160C) and a deep baking dish greased with butter or coconut oil.
- Pop the semolina in a large saucepan over a low to medium heat and dry fry until golden brown (around 5 to 10 minutes). Keep stirring and avoid leaving it unattended or it may burn or cook unevenly.
- Once it’s toasty, add in the brown sugar, coconut cream, water, eggs, butter, and salt and mix well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium high heat and stir continuously. It will start to thicken quickly. Once bubbles start rising through the mixture you can reduce the heat down to low and continue to stir until the mixture thickens and starts to pull away easily from the side of the pan (around 8-10 minutes).
- Once thickened, transfer the batter into baking dish and smooth the surface with an icing spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or desiccated coconut and pop in the oven.
- Bake for around 30-40 minutes until the top is dark golden-brown and the cake is set.
- Slice into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
This had a very unique flavor with the nuttiness of the semolina. I used alternate brown sugar and it still had a great flavor!!
Here is how the overall meal turned out. Again I would make it a little differently next time, but there WILL be a next time. Great flavors!!!
Travel Global Food 