Khao Suey- Burmese curried noodles
Nestled beyond the North Eastern Indian states of Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, is the legendary land of Lord Brahma – Brahma-Desh. A close cousin of our country with parts of our land having been integrated with it over years and then dissociated also later, Brahma-desh evolved to Burma and now Myanmar. A land breathtakingly beautiful, witness to bloodshed and genocide, Burma is rich with culture and the flavors of cooking. Predominantly Buddhist, Burma is also the land from where the United Nations had a secretary-general for 10 long years in U Thant. The diminutive Aung Sung Suu Kyi is also known worldwide and is a noble laureate with her laurel being in the propagation of peace in a land riddled with strife. Rich in the flora of jungles, and catch of the seas the cuisine of the region is based on the vegetables and fare that is from water, fin, and shell kinds, though meat from fur and feather is also quite popular to be used in their cuisine. Our food journey today is with Khao Suey, a noodle soup combined with curried meat and cooked in coconut milk.
In Burma coconut milk noodles or Ohn no khaow sue is the name used for this disease, from which the more popular and simplified name Khao suey has come through. The influence of noodles probably comes from the Chinese influence of cooking brought in during Burma’s occupation under the Shan dynasty of China. The Indians followed the brits of the East Indian company into Burma working not just as laborers but as various civil servants, the babus. When they came back to India they brought with them this dish from Burma and made it popular in India. Post-independence of Burma, emigration from Burma in the 1960s spread this to the Memon community of Pakistan. It is now a representative dish of the community popular with the name Khausa.
Food journeys need to be planned, the more we plan better is the result, and collecting ingredients is one of the most important parts of this journey. So let us get going in my mother’s pantry with a basket for the first and most important leg of today’s journey that will make my bong mom’s kitchen a Burmese one. Our cook today will feed about 4 people and will take about an hour including a preparation time of 15 minutes. The ingredients we need for this are as below:
- Noodles two packets (or as per portion size we want)
- Boneless chicken 500 gms
- Chickpea flour (besan) 4 tbsp
- Garlic paste 1 tbsp
- Onion paste 4 tbsp
- Coconut milk powder 2 packets (500 gms)
- Red chili powder 1tbsp
- Sesame oil 1 tbsp
- Chili powder 1 tbsp
- Red chili 3-4
- Dark soya sauce
- Potato 1 large
- Eggs 2
- Onions 2 medium
- Roasted peanuts 2 peanuts
- Lemon juice 2 tbsp
- Spring onions few
- Coriander leaves 1 sprig
- Red chili paste 1 tsp
- Garlic 2-3 cloves large.
So today we are cooking a Khao suey that’s made with chicken, thickened with besan, and curried in coconut milk. Other forms of meat like beef, fish, or shrimp are also very common and can be used.
So let us roll our sleeves and get cooking. To start cooking we boil the noodles with a bit of salt to taste and once cooked the water is drained off and the noodle is immediately washed with cold water. The noodles are now spread over a plate till it cools off so that they don’t become too sticky. In the meantime, the potato and eggs are also boiled, and respectively peeled and deshelled. Subsequently, they are diced into small pieces/cubes and set aside. The onion is sliced and sauteed a golden brown and set aside. Garlic is browned shredded and also set aside. Spring onion and coriander are chopped finely and set aside. The peanuts are roasted and chopped fine and also set aside. Lastly, the chicken is also steamed in water and the stock drained. Water enough to make about ½ liter of chicken stock is taken while steaming the chicken. The chicken and the stock are set aside and allowed to cool. The chickpea flour, i.e. The besan is roasted over a medium flame to brown it. We will know it is done when the color changes to orange. The peanuts, sauteed onions, diced and boiled eggs, and potato, spring onions coriander and browned garlic will be needed along with soy sauce and the red chili paste for the toppings. The rest of the ingredients will go into the body of the food. Now that all our ingredients are ready and prepped lest get the basic cook started.
A pan is warmed on a medium flame with some cooking oil, into which we first add the onion paste and garlic paste and after sauteeing for a minute add the chicken stock. Salt to taste is added and the mix is allowed to simmer on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. The coconut milk powder is meanwhile converted into milk by adding water to the powder and thoroughly stirring till it all dissolves. Taking care that there are no lumps. This milk is now added into the stock that is simmering. This is allowed to rise to a boil and allowed to boil for few minutes (about 3-5). The roasted besan powder that has been set aside is now similarly dissolved in water. Again care is taken that no lumps remain. This is now added to the stock and coconut milk that is on the boil.
While this mix simmers, the chicken is sliced into strips. In a deep skillet or wok, cooking oil is again heated and the chicken is added and stir-fried. Salt to taste and red chili powder is added and the chicken is fried till it is cooked properly and then set aside. If we have already got red chili paste we can use it or we can meanwhile make the red chili paste. To make the paste a few red chilies are burnt in a bit of oil. This is now ground in a grinder along with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce. This is ground till we have a coarse paste.
The food is now ready to be served. To serve, a portion of noodle is taken in a bowl into which the curry we have made of the coconut milk, stock, and besan mix is poured. The stir-fried chicken is now added to this. The topping of boiled and diced potato and eggs, the coriander, and spring onion choppings are then added as garnishings. This is finally topped with a dash of the red chili paste we made. A dash of lemon juice to add tanginess can be added before this to add the sour zing in the food. Voila, the Khao Suey is ready.
The Khao Suey is a complete meal in a pot. Wholesome and nutritious with every aspect of nutrition taken care of. Starch in the form of noodles is amply supplemented with the protein from the meat. If fish meat is used, omega fatty acids that are good for health are amply available. Vegetables are also a good source of vitamins and minerals. Thus rounding off a nutritious meal. For us Hindus, Brahma Dev is the father and creator of all things. A dish from His land needs special care even if it is not a very difficult one to make. That is where my mother’s special ingredients come in. A warm smile as we cook our meal and dollops of love for the people who will enjoy the food, even if it is just ourselves, goes into making every food special. So, before you dig into this Burmese delight do remember adding the magic ingredients into your cook. Bon Appetit.
