The President of Myanmar recently visited India, rekindling memories of a shared past when Burma was part of British India until World War II. The Indian diaspora in Myanmar included Bengalis, Tamils, Keralites, Marwaris, Parsis, and Sindhis, who brought their culinary traditions. This mingling of flavors created a unique cuisine, with salads being a standout.
Burmese Salads: A Hidden Gem
Burmese salads are more interesting than better-known Thai salads, according to food critic Pushpesh Pant. While they use common ingredients like kaffir lime, bird's-eye chilli, and galangal, the inclusion of fermented fish or fermented bean paste gives them a distinctive taste. In Myanmar, salads serve as starters, snacks, side dishes, or light meals, often with peanuts for crunch and a base of rice or noodles with cabbage.
The dressing typically includes chilli oil, fried garlic, and finely sliced onions. Pant recommends the raw mango salad as a perfect summer dish to beat the heat.
Burmese Raw Mango Salad Recipe
Ingredients: 500 gm raw unripe mangoes, 2 medium red onions (finely sliced), 6 garlic cloves (peeled, crushed), 4 green chillies (slit, deseeded), 1 tsp fermented bean paste, ½ head cabbage (shredded), ½ cup peanuts, 1 cup steamed rice or boiled noodles, 3 tbsp roasted gram flour or sattu, 2 tbsp oil, salt to taste, bird's-eye chillies to taste.
Method: Peel and slice mangoes thinly. Heat oil and roast peanuts; set aside. Fry crushed garlic. Lightly toss shredded cabbage in remaining oil. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, including rice or noodles. Blend well using your hand to achieve the special Burmese salad texture. Add leftover gravy to moisten if desired.
For a lighter version, skip the mango and add tofu or beans. Enjoy this refreshing salad as a starter, snack, or light meal.
