Exploring my new Christmas gift — 1956 Rangoon International Cook Book compiled by the Woman’s Society of Christian Service of the Methodist English Church in Rangoon, Burma.
The book is definitely of an old style — no pictures and the recipes are brief. For example, Mohinga, the national Burmese dish that calls for sixteen ingredients is explained on twelve lines — no steps. At least, ounce measurements are listed next to ticals.
A little cooking experience that I have gives me some confidence but also makes me more cautious. And since I don’t always see what hits me in the face, to avoid going off the cliff, I enlisted the support of my reasonable scientifically minded husband who possess an incredible talent of reading fine print and everything between the lines.
Here’s the Burmese cuisine staple — Balanchaung, a dried shrimp relish that traditionally accompanies rice and noodle dishes. It is the one — not knowing it was a condiment — I started gobbling up in Amayar restaurant with a spoon.
How to describe it? It is oily, crunchy, salty, fishy, and chewy. Not spicy hot, although you can make it so by adding fried hot peppers. And the umami of shrimp sauce coating garlic, shallots, and ginger fried to a crisp is second to none.
WHAT WENT IN
— 2 Tbsp sesame oil to coat the pan;
— 4 oz peanut oil;
— 3/4 tsp ground turmeric;
— 5 garlic cloves, sliced thin;
— 2 shallots, sliced thin;
— 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced into thin matchsticks;
— 1 oz shrimp paste;
— 3,5 oz dried shrimp, finely chopped in a coffee grinder but not pulverized into dust.
THE PROCESS
1. Coat the wok — a vessel with rounded bottom makes it easier to stir — with a film of dark sesame oil, add peanut oil and heat it until smoking.
2. In turns, fry to a crisp, garlic, shallots, and ginger removing them to a paper towel lined plate.
3. To an empty wok, add turmeric and chopped shrimp and fry them to a crisp, as well. Remove to a plate.
4. Leave just a film of oil in a pan saving the rest for another use and swirl in shrimp paste.
5. After heating up the paste for about two minutes, add in shrimp and all the fried aromatics. Salt to taste and restrain yourself from eating it all at once.
One more thing. There is a shrimp paste and then — there is a shrimp paste. This is my favorite Cock Brand from Bangkok. Shrimp is listed as the first ingredient at 54%, followed by oil and garlic. No sugar.
