Burmese Htamin Let Thoke - Hand-Tossed Noodle & Rice Salad

Burmese Htamin Let Thoke

Also known as Let Thoke Sone or A-Thoke, this carb-rich salad is a popular street food in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Htamin (rice) Let (hand) Thoke (tossed/mixed), like many other Burmese hand-tossed salads, is made from 12 or more ingredients, most of which are readily available in your local supermarkets. Specialty items like deep-fried onions and garlic can be made from scratch, but is a laborious process. Asian markets stock those along with spicy shrimp floss for which I like to use Balachaung as a substitute. Tamarind paste also is available in Asian and Indian markets.

Burmese Fish with Drumsticks

Dant-da-lone-thee and Fish

Recipe Source: Doris Thaw on Burmese Food Lovers' Kitchen - Facebook.

Drumsticks or dant-da-lone-thee in Burmese has to be eaten by hand because, like sugar cane in the raw, the fun in eating them lies in sucking and chewing on these fibrous canes.

This fish dish is sour and spicy and totally delicious! I made a couple of changes to the original recipe. Having run out of shrimp sauce (ngapi) I used dried shrimp floss with dried chillies in its place. Since Hubby can't handle food that is too spicy, I substituted Kashmiri mirch in place of chili powder. Kashmiri mirch is akin to paprika, but has a brighter colour and is more flavourful. I also used a small quantity of beef concentrate because I'd run out of chicken concentrate.

Recipe Source: Doris Thaw on Burmese Food Lovers' Kitchen - Facebook.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30-35 mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
1 fish fillet (6-8 oz.)
½ pkt. (about 20 pieces of the drumsticks)
1 medium size white onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon cooking oil (I prefer corn oil)
1 ripe red tomato
A pinch of “ngapi” fish paste or dried shrimp floss with chilli
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chilli powder or Kashmiri mirch
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube (Can use one 14 oz. can of chicken broth)
4 cups of water (2 if using chicken broth)
1 teaspoon fresh seedless tamarind flesh
1 handful of shredded cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Cut fish into 2" pieces.
2. Rinse the drumsticks.
3. Mince the garlic and onions coarsely.
4. Chop the tomato into small pieces.
5. On medium, heat oil for a minute and add the onions and garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes, chilli, turmeric and fish paste and stir for 2-3 more minutes.
7. Add fish and drumsticks, chicken bouillon and water. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
8. Rinse tamarind and add ¼ cup of hot water. Use a fork to mash the tamarind. Add to pot and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
9. Add fish sauce and garnish with cilantro.

Serve immediately with hot steamed rice.