Burmese Dinner

Clockwise from Top Left:

Toh Zya - Vegetables & Dip

Khayan Chin Thee Thoke - Tomato Salad

Steamed Rice

Bitter Melon with Dried Shrimp

Red Lentils with Chin Baung Ywet (Roselle Leaves)

Chin Baung Kyaw - Stir-Fried Roselle with Bamboo Shoots & Shrimp

Chet Tha Sipyan

Burmese Tomato Salad - Kha Yan Chin Thee Thoke

Burmese Tomato Salad

This is a light and refreshing salad that is always polished off by our guests in the blink of an eye. It could be because it's served as a first course and the crowd is hungry, but I think the soft texture of the tomatoes contrasting with the crunchiness of the onions, deep-fried beans and lettuce have a lot to do with this being a favorite at our Burmese table.

Line the salad dish with finely sliced romaine lettuce and mound the tomatoes and other ingredients over the lettuce so that the juices from the tomatoes and dressing can drain to the bottom, leaving the tomatoes from getting soggy.

This salad is best served chilled for at least an hour. The dressing can be poured on the salad just prior to serving.

Ingredients:

1 romaine lettuce heart, sliced thinly

1 small onion, peeled, halves and sliced in thin crescents

5 medium tomatoes, halved and sliced in thin crescents

1 handful cilantro, 1/4 left whole and the rest minced

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. fish sauce (optional for vegetarians)

salt to taste

2 Tbsp. deep fried beans (if available)

2 Tbsp. roasted peanuts, chopped

1 Tbsp. deep fried onions

1 tsp. deep fried garlic

Directions:

1. Soak sliced onions in cold water for 15-20 minutes and drain.
2. Combine sliced tomatoes, onions, minced cilantro and season with salt.
3. Chill until ready to serve.
4. Line salad dish with lettuce and mound tomato mixture on top along with juices.
5. Whisk lime juice and fish sauce together and pour over tomatoes.
6. Garnish with last 4 ingredients and serve.

Burmese Toh Zya - Vegetables & Dip

Toh Zya

When we were growing up in Burma, I and my siblings spent a lot of time at our neighbor's house. They were a childless couple and, from what I can remember, enjoyed our company. We were always welcome to join them for a meal and one staple at their table was always some form of tangy dip with fresh, steamed or parboiled vegetables. 

Toh Zya in Burmese refers to anything that can be dipped into a sauce. The dip varies, but this particular one is a favorite of mine because of the incredible umami imparted by the shrimp paste and fish sauce. This dip is made from a puree of tomatoes, blanched onions, lots of garlic, chili paste, paprika, fish sauce, shrimp paste and a generous amount of oil. It cooks on the stovetop for close to an hour because all the water from the puree has to cook off, leaving a thick, almost syrupy sauce in which the oil floats back to the surface.

Any crunchy vegetable is ideal for dipping in this sauce. I especially like cucumbers and the bottom part or ribs of romaine lettuce. Sweet little rainbow peppers also taste great for dipping.

Ingredients:

2 beefsteak tomatoes, diced

1 large onion, blanched and drained

1 pod of garlic, segmented & peeled

1 tsp. Kashmiri mirch or paprika

2 tsp. roasted chili paste

1 tsp. shrimp paste/ngapi
1 tsp. fish sauce

salt to taste

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Puree all the ingredients, except oil, in a blender.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat and pour pureed ingredients into oil.
3. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for close to an hour, stirring occasionally.
4. When all the liquid is absorbed and the sauce thickens and reduces by half, adjust salt to taste, stir well and continue to simmer until the oil resurfaces and floats to the surface.
5. Bring to room temperature and serve as a dip with vegetables.

Burmese Roselle Leaves with Bamboo Shoots & Shrimp - Chin Baung Kyaw

Chin Baung Kyaw

Roselle leaves have red stems and grow on a bush. Stir-fried like spinach, roselle leaves have a distinctively tart and tangy flavor. In India the leaves of the roselle bush are called gongura and are cooked with lentils or pickled with spices called 'pachadi'. It is available in the Indian markets in North America under the label gongura.

Roselle Leaves Gifted By A Friend

In Burmese cuisine, roselle leaves are called chin baung ywet or sour leaf. It is perhaps the most widely eaten and popular vegetable in Burma. The leaves are fried with garlic, dried or fresh prawns and green chili or cooked with fish. A light soup (hinjo)made from roselle leaves and dried shrimp is also a popular dish.

My husband was trying this for the first time and since the tart flavor can be a bit overwhelming, I combined it with some spinach.

Ingredients:
1 bundle roselle leaves, washed and chopped
1 (8 oz.) pkg. bamboo shoots, fresh or pickled and sliced
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional for vegetarians)
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
8-10 cloves of garlic, diced
1 green chili, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste/ngapi (optional for vegetarians)
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (optional for vegetarians)

Directions:

1. Marinate shrimp in fish sauce and turmeric for 15 minutes and set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat and fry garlic, onions and chilies until onions turn translucent.
3. Add tomatoes and shrimp paste and stir-fry until tomatoes break down and oil resurfaces.
4. Add roselle leaves and bamboo shoots, mix thoroughly and simmer over medium heat until roselle leaves are cooked and all liquid is absorbed.
5. Add marinated shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice.

Kid-Friendly Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Mini Chicken Pot Pie

One of our three grandsons has dinner with us once a week and it's always a challenge to come up with something palatable for them. Today I made these little chicken pot pies that can be made in under 30 minutes. It took me 10 minutes to assemble them and 15 minutes to bake in the oven. And they're just the perfect size for children to hold in their little hands. Serve them with a side of salad or fruits and a stress-free dinner's ready in no time flat!

The crust was made from Pillsbury crescent rolls dough that were coaxed into each compartment of a muffin pan.The filling was made with diced fajita chicken strips (any cooked chicken will do), frozen mixed vegetables consisting of carrots, peas, celery, potatoes and corn and a can of cream of chicken soup. I used Campbell's cream of chicken soup because I was in a hurry, but homemade cream of chicken soup is really easy to make. 

Each package of dough contains 8 crescent rolls and I used the 'grand' or big sized rolls.

The broad side of the triangle of dough was stretched to cover the bottom and sides of each compartment and the pointed end was wrapped around the top with a hole in the center to allow steam to escape.

Cooked until the tops were golden brown, these little pot pies were done in just 15 minutes. Note that the empty compartments were filled with water.

Needless to say, it was a hit with our Grandboy this evening!

Ingredients:

1 (8 rolls) can Pillsbury Grands! Big & Buttery Crescent Rolls, separated

1/2 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables for soup

1 (10 oz.) can  or homemade Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 (16 oz.) pkg. fajita chicken strips, diced

salt to taste

Pam butter-flavored spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F and grease muffin compartments with Pam spray.
2. Microwave vegetables (without water) on high power for one minute or blanch in boiling water for 1 minute and drain.
3. Combine chicken, vegetables, soup and season with salt to taste.
4. Line muffin compartments with broad side of crescent roll dough, leaving pointed end hanging over lip of compartment.
5. Fill with chicken mixture to mound over the top and wrap the pointed end of the crescent roll around the top, leaving a space for steam to escape.
6. Fill empty compartments with water and bake at 375*F for 15 minutes until tops are golden brown. 

Serve with a side of soup or salad.

Tangy Red Lentils with Roselle Leaves - Masoor Dal with Gongura

Masoor Dal with Gongura

Gongura is the Indian name for roselle leaves which have a bright and tangy flavor. These red lentils were cooked with onions, garlic and roselle leaves and finished with chopped tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils/masoor dal, rinsed in several changes of water and drained

1 handful roselle leaves, washed and chopped

1 medium onion, diced

6-8 cloves of garlic, diced

1 large beefsteak tomato, diced

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Bring lentils to a boil in 4 cups of water and simmer over medium heat until lentils are cooked, about 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and stir-fry onions and garlic until golden brown, add tomatoes and simmer until oil resurfaces.
3. Add roselle leaves and cooked lentils, adjust salt to taste and cook for 5 minutes more.

Serve with steamed rice or Indian bread.

Kid-Friendly Corn Salsa

Kid-Friendly Corn Salsa

I've labeled this kid-friendly because I've purposely omitted green onions and hot 'n spicy chilies. All it takes is a package of frozen corn (thawed overnight in the fridge), a seedless cucumber, tomatoes, salt and lime juice. Tossed together in a bowl, it makes a perfect side dish for a picnic or Mother's Day brunch. If this is being made for adults, all optional ingredients are a must to bump up the flavor.

1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 beefsteak tomato, diced

1 seedless cucumber, peeled & diced

1 shallot, diced (optional)
1 green chili, diced (optional)

2 small or 1 large sweet red pepper, diced (optional)

salt to taste

juice of 1 lime

Toss it all in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

A favorite among children, this light and simple meal is fun for them to assemble and hold in their little hands. It’s also easy to brown the chicken and mix the sauce beforehand and cook just before serving. For children this works as a main course, but for adults this probably would work better as an appetizer for dinner or as a main course for a light lunch.

Ingredients:

1 lb. minced chicken

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
¼ tsp. sesame oil
1 can water chestnuts, diced

6-8 button mushrooms, diced
12 leaves Boston or Romaine lettuce

½ cup roasted almonds or peanuts, chopped
2 green onions, sliced thinly
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Separate lettuce leaves, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Whisk 1 tsp. oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil together until thoroughly combined.
3. Add remaining oil to a non-stick skillet on medium heat, and cook chicken thoroughly for about 20 minutes, until browned.
4. Add sauce to chicken in pan along with water chestnuts and mushrooms.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.
7. To serve, place 1-2 Tbsp. chicken in a lettuce leaf and garnish with nuts and/or green onions.

Burmese Stir-Fried Bitter Melon and Eggplant

Burmese Stir-Fried Bitter Melon

Simple stir-fry with bitter melon which came pre-sliced, Japanese eggplant and multi-colored peppers, and seasoned with tomatoes, shrimp paste and fish sauce. The last two ingredients are what makes this a Burmese dish.

The pre-sliced bitter melon is available in Asian markets, so all I had to do was prep the other vegetables, dump it all in a skillet over medium heat and simmer it until the bitter melon was cooked.

Doi Keema Matar - Minced Meat & Peas in a Yogurt Sauce

Doi Keema Matar

A really easy minced meat curry made with ground lamb, beef or chicken and green peas that tastes great as a stuffing for pita pocket sandwiches or served over steamed Basmati rice or with tortillas/chapatis.

I use my pressure cooker whenever I can to cook meat because it takes less time and seals in all the flavors. If cooking this in a saucepan is more convenient, make sure to simmer over medium heat for at least 45 minutes in Step 10.

Ingredients:

1 lb. minced lamb, beef or chicken

1 cup frozen peas

½ tsp. shah jeera or cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 large black cardamoms

2 large onions, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 (6 oz.) tub of Greek yogurt

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch or chili powder to taste

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 Tbsp. garlic paste

1/4 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder

1 green chili, finely diced

2 cups hot beef or chicken broth

salt to taste

1 bunch mint, minced

1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

1 tsp. ghee or butter

1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Brown minced meat with salt to taste and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker over high heat and sputter shah jeera, cinnamon stick and cardamoms.
3. Add chopped onion, green chili and fry until onions turn translucent.  Do not brown the onions.
4. Add ginger & garlic pastes, turmeric and Kashmiri mirch, stir well and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, stir again and cook until tomatoes break down.
6. Add browned chicken, along with mint and stir well.
7. Turn heat off, add yogurt a tablespoon at a time and stir into chicken.
8. Return cooker to medium heat and simmer until oil resurfaces.
9. Add half the hot chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and bring to full pressure.  
10. Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes, remove from heat and allow all the pressure to release.
11. Adjust salt to taste, stir in sugar and remaining hot broth and stir well.
12. Garnish with garam masala, ghee and cilantro and serve with hot basmati rice, naan or tortilla.

Vegetable Khichuri - Vegetables, Rice & Lentil Stew

Vegetable Khichuri
Garnished with Deep-Fried Onions

Vegetable Khichuri 
Garnished with Eggs

Khichuri made with eggplant and green beans. First rice and lentils were cooked with ginger and garlic pastes, salt and touch of turmeric. Diced green beans and diced tomatoes were added when rice and lentils were cooked. In a separate pan, cubed eggplants were fried with more ginger and garlic, onions and tomatoes and a pinch of hing. This was poured over the khichuri and served with eggs and deep-fried onions.

Simple Lettuce & Tomato Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Balsamico di Modena

The last time our grandson, Mayz, had dinner with us we had salad and I asked him if he'd like ranch dressing in his salad and he said he really liked balsamic dressing. So I made a very simple balsamic dressing today that was inspired by him. It tasted much better than store-bought dressing and took less than 5 minutes to prepare. It was a hit at dinner tonight!

Besides dressing a salad, it would be great as a marinade for chicken or fish and drizzled on as a garnish right before serving, as well as a dressing for fruit salad.

Fresh Spring Rolls Stuffed with Chicken Salad

Fresh Rolls with Chicken Salad

These fresh rolls are so versatile, quick and easy that, for right now, I'm hooked on them! The chicken salad was actually made for sandwiches. However, the rice paper was begging to be used and we had 3 heads of romaine lettuce in the refrigerator, and this was much quicker than toasting bread, etc.

Laksa Soup with Minced Chicken Stir-Fried With Hoisin Sauce

Chicken Laksa Soup & Fresh Spring Rolls

My last post described how I made the fresh spring rolls. The two bowls of chicken laksa soup, pictured above, were made with ramen noodles the same way as Shrimp Laksa Noodle Soup. This tasted better than my Ohno Khaukswe, according to my husband. 

You can swap out the shrimp for chicken & shrimp dumplings with julienned Malabar spinach.

Fresh Spring Rolls with Minced Chicken Cooked in Hoisin Sauce

Fresh Spring Rolls

My big sister, Rene, taught me to make these fresh spring rolls.  They are easy to make if you place a lettuce leaf on the softened rice paper because the lettuce helps the roll keep its shape. 

Fresh Spring Roll Ingredients

These are made with minced chicken stir-fried with hoisin and oyster sauce. Note that no salt is added to the chicken because the oyster sauce is salty enough. They make a great, quick & easy lunch especially served with a soup such as my Minced Chicken Laksa Soup.

Ingredients: (makes 4 rolls)

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) ground chicken

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, minced

1 can water chestnuts, minced

1 tsp. garlic paste

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

1 tsp. oyster sauce

1 tsp. dark sesame oil

2 stalks green onions

4 sheets dried rice paper

1 cup cold water

4 Romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed to smaller than size of rice paper

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Stir-fry the minced chicken & onions in hot vegetable oil until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add garlic paste, hoisin and oyster sauces, and water chestnuts, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in sesame oil and sprinkle green onions over the chicken.
4. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature.
5. Pour cold water into a flat dish and line a plate with a paper towel.
6. Slide a rice paper into the water, wetting both sides of the rice paper.
7. Blot each side of the rice paper on the paper towel, making sure to handle the rice paper gently so it doesn't tear.
8. Lay a lettuce leaf on the softened rice paper along with 1 Tbsp. chicken.
9. Roll two opposite sides of rice paper (left & right sides) over the filling and begin rolling tightly from bottom to top.
10. Repeat steps 6 to 9 with other three sheets of rice paper.
11. Serve with sweet chili sauce.

For a visual tutorial on how to make fresh spring rolls, watch this video posted on YouTube by Sav Le of EatNowCryLater.

Shrimp Laksa Noodle Bowl

Shrimp Laksa Noodle Soup

A new discovery at the Asian market produced the most fiery and delicious shrimp Laksa noodle bowl for lunch this afternoon. Curry Laksa is a Malaysian coconut curry soup with noodles which reminded me of the Burmese Oh Noh Khao Swe which is a coconut noodle soup made with chicken. I added shrimp to this Laksa. Another variation of this soup is my Laksa Soup with Minced Chicken.

Dollee Creamy Curry Laska Noodles

The package of noodles came with the noodle cake, along with 3 small packets containing laksa sauce, coconut powder and seasoning.

Product of Malaysia

It's a Malaysian product that was as easy to prepare as any Ramen noodle soup but ten times more flavourful. Laksa sauce is available in a bottle at the Asian market, so if this noodle packet is difficult to find, you could substitute your own ingredients to mimic this flavour. Here is a great step-by-step recipe.

In the Bowl

I added already peeled and deveined shrimp, chicken broth, julienned carrots, minced shallot, Thai red chili and diced tomatoes. A couple of hours after having a bowl of this soup, my ears are still burning pleasantly. Hubby said to warn you that even though it's delicious, it's fiery hot!

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 pkg. Dollee Creamy Curry Laksa Noodles

12 large (31-40 count) shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 cup carrots, peeled & julienned

1 medium tomato, diced

1 shallot, minced

1 Tbsp sesame oil

4 cups chicken broth

1 Thai red chili, diced (optional)

Directions:

1. Marinate the shrimp in half the laksa sauce, shallots, sesame oil and tomatoes for 10 minutes.
2. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil and cook noodles until soft for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add shrimp to noodles, stir well and simmer for another 2 minutes until shrimp turn pink.
4. Divide between 2 soup bowls and serve immediately.

Burmese Kyazan Thohk - Bean Thread Vermicelli Noodle Salad

Burmese Noodle Salad

Similar to Htamin Let Thohk (Hand-Mixed Rice Salad), this salad is made with bean thread vermicelli noodles and is also mixed by hand.

Bean Thread Vermicelli Noodles

When these noodles are soaked in hot water and allowed to cool, they soften, turn from opaque to transparent and develop a bouncy bite. On their own, the noodles are tasteless which is why, after softening, I soak them again in a mixture of sauces so that the taste of the ingredients are distributed throughout the salad.

Hand-Mixed Noodle Salad

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 pkg. bean thread vermicelli noodles

2 cups boiling water

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. fish sauce

½ tsp. vinegar

4 Tbsp. chili-garlic oil

1 (8 oz.) cup tamarind juice

1 tsp. chili powder

salt to taste

¼ cabbage or 1 Romaine lettuce, shredded

2 eggs, boiled & chopped

4 Tbsp. chickpea flour (besan), toasted

2 Tbsp. dried shrimp powder

1/2 cup deep-fried onions

1/2 cup deep-fried garlic

2 limes, cut in eighths

Directions:

1. Boil 2 cups of water, remove from heat, add noodles and soak until cool. 
2. Drain noodles and mix with soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, chili-garlic oil and tamarind juice and set aside to allow flavours to permeate.
3. Combine all ingredients (except eggs) and mix thoroughly by hand.
4. Garnish with chopped eggs and serve.

Chicken Salad Burritos

Chicken Salad Burritos

There was a package of rotisserie chicken breast slices from the deli in the fridge and it was close to lunch time, so the quickest thing to do was make chicken salad sandwiches. 

Diced Ingredients

Any kind of cooked chicken works well in a chicken salad, but the tastiest probably would be to poach a fresh boneless chicken breast and chop that up. To the chicken I added half a Fuji apple, a red shallot, half a beefsteak tomato, a red chili, mayonnaise and salt. Everything was diced and placed at the ready.

Combine in a Bowl

The ingredients were all dumped into a mixing bowl and thoroughly mixed together.

Transfer to a Serving Dish

The salad was transferred to a serving dish and two tortillas were toasted in the toaster oven.

Fill the Tortillas

Two tablespoons of the chicken salad were placed down the center of each tortilla. The larger whole wheat tortilla is Hubby's preference, while I like a white flour tortilla.

Roll & Slice

The tortillas were rolled, burrito style, sliced down the middle and served. This was a light lunch that came together in a jiffy.

Ingredients (all diced except tortillas):

2 tortillas, toasted

1 (9 oz.) package sliced deli chicken

1/2 beefsteak tomato

1/2 Fuji apple

1 Thai red chili pepper

1 red shallot, peeled

4 Tbsp. Hellman's Real Mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
2. Toast 2 tortillas and fill with 2 Tbsp. each chicken salad.
3. Roll up like a burrito, slice each tortilla in half and serve.

Singapore Vermicelli Noodles

Singapore Vermicelli Noodles

This is one of my favourite dishes to order in a Chinese restaurant. It's usually made with very thin rice noodles (Mei Fun) but I decided to use toasted, golden-brown vermicelli (Sevai/Semiya) instead.

Toasted Vermicelli

Toasted vermicelli is available at Indian markets and I like using the toasted variety to save having to toast it at home. The untoasted variety tends to turn to mush when cooked in water.

 The main ingredient in Singapore noodles is curry powder & I prefer S&B brand because it is high in taste, flavour and aroma, but low in spicy heat. To beat the overpowering raw taste of curry powder, it's a good idea to boil it in chicken broth or water and to soak the vermicelli in this liquid. That way, the taste of the curry powder permeates throughout the pasta.

This is a one-dish meal that can be made in under 15 minutes and is a great lunch idea.

Ingredients:

1 cup toasted vermicelli

8 oz. cooked shelled shrimp, shredded chicken or tofu for vegetarians

2 cups chicken/vegetable broth or water

1 heaping tsp. curry powder

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 large onion, sliced

1 + 1 green chilies, diced

multi-coloured sweet peppers, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 carrot, julienned

1 beefsteak tomato, diced
1 cup mung bean sprouts, tails removed

Directions:

1. Simmer curry powder in broth for 3 minutes and remove from heat.
2. Soak vermicelli in this liquid until water is absorbed doubles in volume. 
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute garlic and 1 green chili.
4. Add onions, peppers, carrots and tomatoes.
5. Toss with salt to taste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add vermicelli, along with soaking liquid, shrimp and adjust salt to taste.
7. Turn heat down to medium, stir, cover skillet and simmer until liquid evaporates and vermicelli is cooked.
8. Add bean sprouts and toss.
9. Garnish with remaining diced chilies and serve immediately.

Tangy Stir-Fried Spinach & Mushrooms

Faux Chin Baung Ywet

Food is such a nostalgic experience; this stir-fried dish brought back strong memories of our carefree childhood in Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon.

Chin Baung Ywet or
Roselle Leaves

In Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, we often had a naturally tangy spinach called Chin Baung Ywet or roselle leaves. The buds of the roselle shrub are sour and make a lovely chutney and jam/jelly.

Sorrel Herb

The closest taste to roselle that's available where I live in North America is sorrel, an herb, which looks like spinach but has a tangy edge to it. We're just now emerging from a frosty winter and sorrel is not in season, so I decided to use plain spinach and finished it off with the juice of one lime just before taking it off the stove. 

Sliced Mushrooms

This dish using roselle or sorrel is usually prepared with shrimp and it tastes exquisite, but I used a 16 oz. tub of sliced mushrooms instead. We also had some left-over french fries from our lunch, so I threw that in, too.

Stir-Fry the Mushrooms

Heated some extra-light tasting olive oil to a skillet and toasted a teaspoon of fennel seeds before added the sliced mushrooms. I like to stir-fry the mushrooms first to prevent them from releasing all their juices. 

Added Minced Garlic

When the mushrooms softened and began to brown, minced garlic was added to them.

Added Minced Onions

Minced onions, diced green chilies and salt were added to the mushrooms and garlic and stir-fried until onions turned translucent.

Tossed French Fries In

Tossed in the french fries and gave it another good stir.

Topped Off With Frozen Spinach

Added a 16 oz. package of frozen and chopped spinach and salt to taste, covered the skillet and allowed the spinach to cook over medium heat.

Garnished With The Juice Of One Lime

Once the spinach was browned around the edges, the juice of a whole lime was squeezed and stirred into it. Tasted wonderful with hot, steamed Basmati rice. Can also be served with any variety of Indian breads.

Ingredients:

1 lb. frozen chopped spinach (do not thaw)

4 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 large onion, diced

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 green chilies, diced (optional or to taste)

1 (16 oz.) tub of sliced mushrooms

1 potato, peeled & cut in strips

1 lime, cut in half

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat & toast fennel seeds until golden-brown.
2. Add mushrooms & stir-fry until all moisture (if any) have been released.
3. Add salt, garlic, onions and green chilies, & stir-fry until onions soften.
4. Add potatoes, salt to taste and frozen spinach, cover and cook over medium heat until spinach thaws.
5. Stir well after spinach thaws, cover & cook over medium heat until spinach cooks.
6. Squeeze lime juice over contents of skillet and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve with hot Basmati rice or any Indian bread.