Burmese Shwe Htamin - Rice Dessert Bars

Burmese Shwe Htamin

This Burmese dessert was inspired by a Facebook member, Corinne Watson, of our Burmese food group (Burmese Food Lover's Kitchen). I made several modifications to her recipe because I wanted to make coconut a more prominent ingredient and also used roasted sesame seeds as an additional garnish.

Lentils with Sweet Potatoes & Toasted Coconut

Mum used to make this at home when company was expected. It was part of a feast (nimonthonno ranna in Bengali). Fresh coconuts are readily available in India and Mum would break the coconut shell, slice the meat into strips and slice it into flat disks that would be fried in oil to a nutty brown.  They would then be cooked along with the lentils.

Since fresh coconuts are not as easily available in Michigan, a staple in my refrigerator is unsweetened, grated coconut. I use a dry skillet to toast a quarter cup of grated coconut to a golden brown colour with the help of 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar. The toasted coconut is used as a garnish and stirred into the lentils just prior to serving.

Ingredients:

1 cup channa dal (any lentils will do)
1 medium sweet potato or 1/4 pumpkin, peeled and cut in bite-size pieces
¼ cup grated unsweetened coconut, toasted to a golden brown
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ tsp. shah jeera or cumin seeds
1 tsp. garam masala powder
2 tsp. ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp. ghee or melted butter
2–3 green chilies, left whole

Directions:

1. Wash and soak sweet potatoes in water to prevent discolouring.
2. Wash lentils until water runs clear and soak in hot water for half an hour.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds & garam masala.
4. When cumin seeds start to sizzle, add tomato and ginger pastes along with sweet potatoes and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add lentils, cover and simmer for about half an hour until lentils are tender.
6. Adjust salt to taste, garnish with ghee, toasted coconut and whole green chilies.

7. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with steamed rice or tortillas.

I shared this recipe on 

Spinach, Sweet Potatoes & Peas with Coconut

Palang Shaag, Misti Alu, Karaishuti Ar Narkol 

Ingredients : 

2 lbs. frozen chopped spinach

1 sweet potato or 1/4 pumpkin, peeled & cubed
½ lb. frozen peas
1 large onion, sliced finely

1 jalapeno pepper, halved lengthwise & sliced widthwise

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. Shah jeera or cumin seeds

¼ cup grated unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
salt to taste

1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded & sliced

1 tsp. ghee

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, toast grated coconut, remove and reserve for later use.
2. Heat oil in same skillet and sputter jeera.
3. Add and stir-fry sliced jalapenos, onions & cumin powder until onions turn opaque.
4. Stir in sweet potatoes & salt to taste, cover and simmer until sweet potatoes are half done.
5. Add frozen spinach & peas, add more salt, cover and steam until spinach & peas thaw.
6. Stir well and cook over medium heat until spinach is cooked and liquid evaporates.
7. Adjust salt, sprinkle with toasted coconut & garnish with sliced peppers and ghee.

Serve with rice or chapatis.

I shared this recipe on

Cauliflower, Potatoes & Shrimp in White Poppy Seed Sauce

Phool Kopi Alu Chingri Posto

White poppy seed sauce (known in Bengali as 'posto') is very versatile and can be used to dress practically any vegetable. The addition of black mustard seed paste and grated coconut gives it an added dimension of flavour.  And shrimp will, of course, take it up the ultimate notch! 

Ingredients

1 lb. shrimp, shelled & deveined
Paste of
   1 tsp. black mustard seeds

   2 tsp. white poppy seeds

   2 tsp. freshly grated unsweetened coconut

   2 green chillies

   Salt to taste

juice of 1 lime

2 + 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. nigella seeds (a.k.a. kalo jeera/kalonji)

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

1 russet potato, cut in long wedges

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 tsp. ghee

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. chopped cilantro

4 green chillies, slit

Directions

Soak black mustard seeds with salt for ½ an hour and drain.

Soak white poppy seeds in boiling water for ½ an hour. Do not drain.

Purée the paste ingredients listed above along with water poppy seeds were soaked in.

Add lime juice to the paste, stir well and set aside.

In a skillet, heat 4 Tbsp. oil & sputter nigella seeds.

Add and cook cauliflower, potatoes with ginger paste & salt until cooked.

Add shrimp and pour poppy seed paste over vegetables in skillet, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add sugar, adjust salt and garnish with ghee, cilantro & green chillies.

Serve with steamed Basmati rice.

Dharosh Aloo Posto - Okra & Potatoes in White Poppy Seed Sauce

Mum and I made something similar to this with just okra once.  She has been my mentor in all of life's lessons, and cooking in particular.  There were eight of us siblings in our family and we waited with our tongues hanging out for her food, whenever she had the time to cook.  Sometimes the wait would be almost unbearable, but she stood for no nonsense in the kitchen and we were not allowed to whine or bug her while she was cooking.  When I grew older and spoke to her on the phone, our main topic of conversation was what she was going to cook or had cooked that day.  I, therefore, dedicate this blog and all my recipes to her and hope she is in a place where she is getting a well-deserved rest.  How did she ever get through life with so many strings attached to her 'sarir achol'?  'Sarir achol' is the portion of the sari that is draped over the left shoulder.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. fresh okra, trimmed & cut on bias
1 russet potato, cubed
1 tsp. amchur (dried mango powder)
1/4 tsp. nigella seeds
1 tsp. ginger paste
2 tsp. Coleman's mustard powder, soaked in 2 Tbsp. cold water
3 Tbsp. white poppy seeds (posto), soaked in hot water for 30 minutes.
2 Tbsp. grated, unsweetened coconut
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
salt to taste
1 tsp. ghee

Directions:

1. Toss okra with amchur.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat, fry okra until golden and set aside.
3. In the same saucepan, heat remaining oil and sputter nigella seeds.
4. Add cubed potatoes, ginger paste, salt and fry until potatoes are tender.
5. Meanwhile, puree posto along with soaking water, coconut and some salt until smooth.
6. When potatoes are fork tender, combine posto with mustard and pour over potatoes.
7. Cook until some of the liquid evaporates, add okra back into pan, stir and cook until thick and almost dry.
8. Adjust salt, garnish with ghee, stir and remove from heat.
9. Serve with hot, cooked basmati rice.