Burmese Meat Curry - အသားဟင်း a thaa hin

 

Burmese Meat Curry

I call this Meat Curry because the recipe can be used to cook any kind of meat. Beef Curry is called Ametha Hin and Pork Curry is called Wetha Hin. I used lamb leg, but I don't know what lamb is called in Burmese. One translation calls it Soetha Hin, but I'm not sure if that's correct.

The process is pretty simple and all the ingredients are readily available. Pieces of meat are marinated in a coarse paste of onions, garlic, tomatoes and paprika or soaked dried chilies. I used a pressure cooker to tenderize the meat for half an hour, but it can also be simmered on the stovetop for 2 hours. If a pressure cooker is used, it should be removed from the heat and left undisturbed (after the half hour of cooking) to de-pressurize naturally, which takes 15-20 minutes. After all the steam dissipates and depending on how much liquid remains, the curry needs to be simmered to reduce the gravy until the oil resurfaces.

Khayan Thee Sipyan - Burmese Eggplant Curry

 

Khayan Thee Sipyan

Long cuts of eggplant combined with crab sauce, are simmered to a delectable softness nestled in a piquant gravy of sweet, sour and umami aromas and taste. If crab paste is not available, shrimp powder can be substituted.

Serve with hot, steamed rice, as a side dish. 

Burmese Chet Tha Sipyan - Chicken in Red Curry Sauce

Chet Tha Sipyan

In Burmese, Chet Tha (chicken meat) Sipyan (oil returns) is a chicken gravy in which oil floats to the top. The vibrant red color in the gravy is achieved through generous amounts of Kashmiri mirch or paprika. The wings are marinated with fish sauce, turmeric powder and paprika, fried until golden brown, then simmered in a red curry sauce. Boiled new baby potatoes are added for a contrast in texture.

Burmese Fish Balls Sipyan

Fish Balls Sipyan

Fish balls remind me of the time a group of co-workers and I went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant and I ordered fish ball and watercress soup. A Chinese lady and I were the only ones who had ever heard of fish balls, so it was the source of much amusement and glee for our meat-and-potatoes comrades. 

Fish balls can be made at home, but are readily available in Asian markets here in North America. When made from scratch, all the tastes that make them uniquely Burmese can be added to the fish mixture so that the flavors permeate from the inside out. Using generic fish balls from the market requires that they be simmered long and slow and, for this, the sipyan method works best. 'Sipyan' translates to 'oil returns' which requires a simmering process on medium-low heat that evaporates the liquid until all the oil rises to the surface.

Nga Hsi Pyan - Burmese Fish Curry in Red Sauce

Nga Hsi Pyan

The holy trinity or mirepoix in Burmese cooking consists of pureed/pounded onions, garlic and soaked dried red chillies. 'Nga' means fish and 'Sipyan' means 'oil returns'.  So that I don't have to skimp on the oil, I use a healthy oil such as extra-light olive oil in all my cooking.  The other thing to keep in mind is that for the full flavour to develop, this dish must be simmered on low heat for as long as it takes for the liquid to evaporate and oil to resurface.

Any fish can be used in this dish, cut into steaks leaving the bone in, or boneless fish fillets.

Burmese Fish Ball Sipyan

Burmese Fish Ball Sipyan

Fish balls remind me of the time a group of co-workers and I went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant and I ordered fish ball and watercress soup. A Chinese lady and I were the only ones who had ever heard of fish balls, so it was the source of much amusement and glee for our meat-and-potatoes comrades. 

Fish balls can be made at home, but are readily available in Asian markets here in North America. When made from scratch, all the tastes that make them uniquely Burmese can be added to the fish mixture so that the flavors permeate from the inside out. Using generic fish balls from the market requires that they be simmered long and slow and, for this, the sipyan method works best. 'Sipyan' translates to 'oil returns' which requires a simmering process on medium-low heat that evaporates the liquid until all the oil rises to the surface.

Burmese Stewed Eggplant - Khayan Thee Hin

A form of sipyan, this eggplant dish is so much easier to prepare because everything is combined in a skillet and left to cook on its own.  Out of sheer habit, I scraped the bottom of the pan to make sure it wasn't sticking, but that was not necessary at all. Once the tomatoes cooked down, the cooking liquids covered the eggplant pieces which then stewed in the resulting juices. The bulk of the flavour and umami was imparted by a combination of peanuts, shrimp paste and dried shrimp powder.

Here are several options for vegans. To achieve umami flavour without using fish-/seafood-based sauces, would be to use mushroom sauce and dried shiitake mushrooms. Mushroom sauce is used by vegans to replace oyster sauce and the soaking liquid from dried shiitake mushrooms both impart strong umami flavour. More difficult to come by is dried konbu or kelp (seaweed) which is used to make konbu dashi. A third option would be to use Ajinomoto or MSG.

Serve this as a side over a mound of steamed rice, preferably coconut rice or Ohn Htamin.

Burmese Pazun Sipyan - Shrimp Curry

Pazun Sipyan
(Shrimp in Coconut Sauce)

This is a Burmese dish that was made in the microwave oven.  'Pazun' means shrimp and 'Sipyan' means 'oil returns'. So as not to skimp on fat, use a healthy oil such as extra-light olive oil when cooking Burmese food.  To get the full flavour to develop, no water was added because the oil must separate and return to the surface in the short time it takes to cook this in the microwave oven. It took exactly four minutes to get done!

Burmese Ohn Htamin Neh Pazun Sipyan - A Microwaved Meal in Less Than 30 Minutes

Clockwise from Left:Ohn Htamin Neh Pazun Sipyan
Ohn Htamin
Pazun Sipyan
Fruit Salad

This Burmese meal was on the table in under half an hour because it was cooked in a microwave oven. Allow about 10 minutes preparation time to wash and drain the rice, thaw and peel already deveined shrimp and to assemble the ingredients. This is the perfect meal when guests drop by unannounced around dinner time and will feed 4 people. Serve a fruit salad for dessert for a light but festive meal.

Ohn Htamin
(Rice Cooked in Coconut Milk)

This Ohn Htamin or Rice Cooked in Coconut Milk was made in the microwave oven in just 18 minutes. That is unheard of when rice has to be cooked on the stove top or in a rice cooker. You will find the recipe here. 

Pazun Sipyan
(Tangy Coconut Shrimp Curry)

Add 4 minutes to that and accompany this rice with a delectable Burmese Tangy Coconut Shrimp Curry or Pazun Sipyan, which was also cooked in the microwave oven. Here is the recipe.

Just one can of coconut milk was used for this dinner. The creamy solids that collect at the top of the can were scooped up with a spoon and used in the shrimp curry and the rest of the coconut milk was used in the rice. The ratio of rice to liquid is 1:2, so the difference in liquid, after measuring the coconut milk, was made up with chicken broth.

Fruit Salad

The fruit salad comprises segments of navel orange, red seedless grapes and segments of apricot. A light, cool and refreshing end to a delectable Burmese meal! For another variation on the fruit salad, take a look at this option.

Burmese Chicken Curry - Chet Tha Sipyan

Curry in Burmese is called ‘Sipyan’ which literally means ‘oil returns’, a sign that the gravy is ready. Although it’s called a curry, very few spices are used.  The color is achieved with the help of tomato paste and the flavor is created by simmering the pureed onion, garlic, red chilli and tomato paste long and slow. Sipyan tastes great cooked with chicken, duck, pork, beef or plain vegetables, served over a bed of Ohn Htamin or Burmese coconut rice.

Khayan Dhi Ne Pazoon Sipyan - Slow Cooked Eggplant & Shrimp

This is a Burmese dish.  'Sipyan' in Burmese means 'oil returns', so don't skimp on the oil.  I use extra-light olive oil in all my cooking and since olive oil is supposed to be healthy, that along with the word 'light' gives me a certain amount of freedom to use a little extra oil.  To allow the full flavour of this dish to develop, it should be simmered on a low flame for as long as it takes for the liquid to evaporate and the oil to return to the surface.

Nga Sipyan - Slow Cooked Fish Fillets

This is a Burmese dish.  The holy trinity or mirepoix in Burmese cooking is pureed/pounded onions, garlic and soaked dried red chillies. 'Nga' means fish and 'Sipyan' means 'oil returns'.  So that I don't have to skimp on the oil, I use a healthy oil such as extra-light olive oil in all my cooking.  The other thing to keep in mind is that for the full flavour to develop, this dish must be simmered on low heat for as long as it takes for the liquid to evaporate and the oil to return to the surface.