Burmese rice "salad" recipe (htamin lethoke)
- Cuisine:
Ingredients
“Rice mixed with fingers”
From Marisa Ferraz, Sun Pictures, Broome WA
Served cold
Serves approx. 12
“I used to love it when my mother made this,” says Marisa. “My brothers and I used to sit around and mum would make up this huge bowl and feed us using her fingers. When we got older we tried to mix it ourselves but it just didn’t taste the same as mum’s, hence she is still mixing it for us! Mum always said that each serving could have a different flavour and texture depending on whether you liked the mix ‘dry’ or ‘wet’, regardless it was always a taste sensation. Another great reason for liking this meal is that there is hardly any cooking involved and you could use any vegetables you have in the fridge, cook up enough of the main ingredients and keep them in the pantry for future use.”
2 cups long grain rice, washed several times then cooked
(Use 3 ½ cups of water – general rule when cooking rice is to add 1 ½ cups of water per 1 cup of rice)
2 cups oil
2 tbspn paprika. Chilli oil can be used as a substitute
4 large onions, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
2 cups chickpea powder (besan)*
½ pkt tamarind – mix with 1 cup hot water to thin out and drain discard pulp
8 carrots, finely grated
½ cabbage, finely sliced*5 large potatoes, boiled and sliced
1 pkt egg noodles, fresh or dried
1 pkt rice vermicelli
Crushed dried chilli, to taste
½ pkt fresh bean sprouts
1 cup dried prawns, ground
Fish sauce to taste
* If you like you can increase the quantity of vegetables
*Available from Indian, Sri Lankan and Pakistani grocery stores
Preparation
Cook rice your preferred way.
Heat 1 cup of oil in saucepan and add paprika – make sure the oil isn’t too hot or the paprika will burn. Take off heat immediately and pour the oil (not the paprika which will settle at the bottom) over rice and mix well. Set aside.
Heat 1 cup of oil and add half the finely sliced onions and all the finely sliced garlic – cook gently until golden brown. Once cooked, set aside in a bowl with the oil.
Heat fry pan and add the chickpea powder (besan) and gently brown – take off heat and add into bowl.
Boil water and cook sliced potatoes until soft and drain. If using dried noodles cook until soft and drain.
Pour hot water over the vermicelli and stand until soft, and drain.
To serve:
Place all vegetables including the leftover sliced onions on a large tray.
Place cooked potatoes, noodles and rice into separate bowls or onto a large tray.
Place all the condiments - ground dried prawns, toasted chickpea powder, liquid tamarind, onions and garlic in oil and chilli flakes in separate bowls.
Now you are ready to devour. Place a serving of rice, noodles and vegetables plus a teaspoon or more of each condiments onto plate or bowl and mix well with fingers.
For more of a ‘wet’ texture, add more tamarind and onion/garlic oil mix. For a ‘dry’ texture add more chickpea powder.
Season with fish sauce for flavour. ENJOY!!!!!
If you enjoyed this Burmese rice "salad" recipe (htamin lethoke) then browse more and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
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Hot Tips
Tongs or fork
Avoid using a barbecue fork when turning steaks or meat on the barbecue (opt for tongs instead). The fork will pierce the meat encouraging the precious juices to flow out, rather than stay inside the meat and keep it tender.
Glossary
Mistika
An Arabic gum with a hard, crystalline texture. Usually ground before adding to a recipe.


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