serves 4

• 2 onions, large dice
• 1/2 head garlic, peeled
• 5-6 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and large dice

Turn the oven to 400 degrees. Mix items together in a large roasting tray.

Add:

• Oil to lightly coat pan-coconut or olive oil and butter are best
• Sprinkle of salt
• Sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper
• Sprinkle of ground cinnamon
• Sprinkle of hot chili powder
• Sprinkle of ground cloves

Method
Quickly rub oil onto vegetables, taking care to coat every surface. Pat out evenly on tray and place in very hot oven (400 degrees).

Lightly steamed homegrown green beans are delicious with cream cheese and balachaung

Serves 2-4

• 500g (1 lb) green beans
• ¼ c homemade cream cheese
• ¼ c peanut balachaung
• ½ lime’s juice
• salt to taste

Method:
Blanch green beans and drain. While hot add the cream cheese and toss until it has melted and coated the beans. Add balachaung, lime juice and salt to taste.

The Rakhine people of Western Myanmar love very hot spicy food and make this dip hotter than I can handle it. Therefore, although I say the chili’s are optional, it is no longer an Arakanese dip if the chilis are not added!

serves 4

• 5-6 Japanese eggplants
• ½ small white onion, sliced very thin and rinsed under cold water
• 1/4 c cold pressed peanut oil
• 2-3 hot green or red fresh chilis (optional)

Luke Nguyen tells us all about eating tomatoes in Myanmar

This is a signature hand tossed Burmese salad. Variations can be found all around Myanmar.

Burmese salads are always thrown together fresh, the last minute possible before being served. Quick fingers toss and blend the salad, adding the personal touch of the creator into the mixture.

Serves 4

• 4-5 tomatoes, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 T turmeric and garlic oil
• 1 small onion, sliced very thin and rinsed in cold water
• 1 T sesame seeds, toasted
• ½ c cabbage, shredded very finely
• 1 lime’s juice
• ½ c peanuts, chopped
• 1 bunch coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped
• salt or fish sauce to taste

In Myanmar this salad is usually made with star-beans* or snake-beans and is another of their famous hand-tossed salads.

Serves 4

• 500g (1lb) star beans or green beans
• 1 small onion, sliced very thin and rinsed under cold water
• 1 T sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 T garlic and turmeric oil
• 1 lime’s juice
• ½ c peanuts, chopped
• salt or fish sauce to taste
• 1 or 2 hot green chilis, sliced (optional)

Method:
Blanch green beans and cut into about 1 inch lengths. Toss the ingredients together with your hands at the last minute before you serve to your guests. In some areas of Myanmar it is said that the Chef’s hands themselves add the secret ingredient to these famous hand tossed salads.

This recipe will make about two weeks worth of balachaung for about 4 people, using it as a condiment. Usually I make this if I know I am going to be too busy to cook the next coming weeks, or if I am broke. This way I can simply cook up some rice and have a simple nutritious meal with rice and balachaung and maybe some steamed veggies or an avocado for good measure. This is actually the vegetarian version of a condiment that is served at nearly every meal in Myanmar (Burma). Usually balachaung contains powdered dried shrimp.

Recipe:
2 whole bulbs of garlic, thinly sliced. More or less can be used according to taste. Enough oil to fry the garlic and a ½ teaspoon of turmeric.

Fry the garlic in oil to crispy, be careful not to burn it. Take it out of the oil a little before you think it is golden enough as it will continue cooking once out of the oil for a little while.