Burmese Chickpea Tofu

I can probably count the number of times I’ve eaten tofu in the past couple years on one hand.  Sure, there are a lot of recipes that I love that use the stuff (like  this one and this one), but I just never really jumped on the soy bandwagon.

So what’s a girl to do when she wants a neutral vegan protein base for recipes but  eschews soy because of the potential health risks?  Thankfully the good people of Burma have the answer: chickpea tofu.

This dish reminded me of the old math question: how many combinations can you make with __ numbers?   Because with just chickpea flour, water and salt you could either end up with French Socca crepes, or this Burmese tofu.  And probably plenty of other dishes currently unknown to me.

Read More »

Burmese Wilted Spinach Salad with Tomatoes and Crispy Golden Shallots

Although I always enter grocery stores with a very specific list, I rarely leave without a couple of impulse purchases.  And those extra items usually fall into one of two categories: dark chocolate or super clearance items.  Bargain shopping is in my blood.

And my inability to walk away from a great deal is exactly why I left Costco with a bed pillow-sized bag of spinach a week or so ago.  Two dollars for two pounds of spinach?  That’s not a deal you come across every day, especially in Hawaii.

Since fridge space is always an issue (and because I can only drink so many green smoothies), I decided to wilt the spinach down to a more manageable size and make this vibrant Burmese salad.

Read More »

Burmese Golden Egg Curry

To all the shakshuka lovers out there:  I think you guys are really really going to like this one.  It’s the same basic format as the famous Israeli and North African dish, with eggs nestled in a fiery, chile pepper-laced tomato sauce.

But that’s where the similarities end.  Instead of cracking uncooked eggs into the sauce, as is done with shakshuka, hard boiled eggs are fried in turmeric-tinged oil until golden and blistered and then added to the sauce.  It’s pretty magical.

And that’s a pretty bold statement considering that I wouldn’t even eat hard boiled eggs a couple years ago.  But that was before I learned the trick to the perfect hard-boiled eggs:  8 minutes at a low boil with an immediate  subsequent dunks into ice water.  You end up with the most perfectly creamy golden yellow centers.

No scary grey yolks here folks.

Read More »

Creamy Coconut Crab Curry

Back in the day, crab was pretty much Christmas or special occasion-only fare, with the preferred vehicle being a rich and cheesy crab dip.

But now that I’ve found an inexpensive and reliable source for good quality canned crab, I’ve been sneaking it into all sorts of dishes that call for white fish or even shrimp. 

For the sake of full disclosure, I should mention that I have no idea whether this could be considered an authentic Burmese crab curry or not.   I started with a Burmese fish curry recipe, swapped in some crab for the fish, added some coconut milk, and added in some strips of green bell pepper for color and flavor.

Authentic or not, I totally fell for this curry with large chunks of tender crab in a tomato and coconut-based sauce.  It’s fancy-pants enough for a special dinner, but quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal.  My favorite kind of recipe.

Read More »