Presto Pasta Nights: Burmese Noodles

Yesterday was the first day of spring, so I had the traditional Burmese Noodles to celebrate. I'm sure everyone remembered that spring is always ushered in with Burmese Noodles?  No? Well, in our house it is.  So, you might want to take a gander at this dish and serve it next year.  It has pretty yellow noodles, from tumeric, and bright green snow peas.  Plus, I took my frustrations out by pounding the curry paste in my mortar and pestle.  Frustration caused by waiting for the cable company to send someone to fix my television reception for the second time this week.   Then the problem cleared up just before the repairman arrived, leaving him convinced I'm a liar or an idiot. 

But, I'm not going to linger on that. Let's just focus on the noodles. It was very cheerful and perfect for Presto Pasta Night, which is held each week at Ruth's site, Once Upon A Feast, on Fridays.   So, stop by her site and see all the great pasta recipes. Maybe you can whip up some pasta for it too.

Theraputic mortar and pestle.  Yes, a food processor is faster.  But, then I couldn't imagine pounding the cable company into a paste.

 

Burmese Noodles

(Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone)

Curry paste

1/2 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
2 1/4-inch round slices of ginger root, peeled
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 red bird chilies or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Noodles and veggies

5 dried shitake or black Chinese mushrooms
8 ounces fresh Chinese noodles or dried fettuccine
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 can unsweetened coconut milk, cream reserved
1 handful of snow peas, trimmed
2 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Cilantro, basil, and mint leaves, sliced, for garnish

Use a mortar and pestle, or food processor, to make the curry ingredients into a thick paste.

Soak the mushrooms in the warm water for 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and save the liquid. Discard the stems and chop the mushrooms into thin slices.  Separate the fresh noodles, if using them.  Chop the peanuts.

Heat the oil in a wok until it's hot, and add the curry paste. Cook on high heat for 30 seconds, then turn heat down to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a little water if it starts to stick.  After 15 minutes, raise the heat and add the tomato and the mushroom liquid and coconut milk. Simmer for a minute, then add the mushrooms, snow peas, scallions, and soy.    Turn off the heat.

Cook the noodles until tender and drain. Add them to the mixture in the wok and lift and mix the noodles until they are covered with the sauce.  Put the noodles into a large serving dish and scatter the peanuts and chopped herbs on top. 

Comments

[Lydia]

I love the image of pounding the cable guys into a paste -- I'll have to remember my mortar and pestle the next time my cable goes out! What makes these noodles Burmese? The turmeric?

[Anh]

Sher, this dish looks so delis! I used to live with a Burmese girl, but she can't cook. :D Haven't sampled much of the Burmese food.

I think the dish you whip up is called Burmese Noodles because the curry paste contains dry spices? I read somewhere that the Burmese mainly use dry spices, which were brought into their country through traders.

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

Pound away!! Theraputic, yes cooking is theraputic and pounding with a mortar and pestle is maybe one of the best. Kneading bread is maybe my favorites.
Wonderful looking noodles!

[Rosa]

Those pasta look very tasty and colorful! I love to grind things in my mortar too...

[Ros]

This dish is so beautifully colourful and the spices sound very tasty. I like the way that there's a bit of an Indian and Chinese influence to the dish, which I guess must be quite common in Burmese dishes.

I wish I had time to enter more of these blogging events. :(

[sher]

Lydia,

Yes, maybe the mortar and pestle will replace anger management classes. I think the answer to what makes a dish Burmese comes from Anh--because they use dry spices!!! Good to know!

Anh,

Thank you so much for the info. I had wondered what distinguished Burmese food from others. And that makes sense that they would use dry spices more often. Love to know these things! Thanks!

Tanna,

Oh yes!! Baking bread is marvelous for taking care of stress. The feel, smell and final results of making bread is so marvelous, it always puts things in perspective for me.

Rosa,

Thanks! Yes, you really get acquainted with food when you pound it in a mortar and pestle. Love it.

Ros,

It can be difficult keeping track of all the events. There are so many nice ones now, and I often find out about them too late. So many events....so little time!! :):)

[gattina]

Sher, how much I miss this noodle!!! Before I never check what its name was, I just called it yellow noodle :)
Talking about customer serving here, I need a XL food processor *grumble grumble*

[Ari (Baking and Books)]

Damn woman, your food photos just keep getting tastier and tastier.

[e]

Just one more recipe from you to add to the list of things to make soon. This one may finally get me to the store to buy a mortar and pestle.

[Kristen]

What a way to get out aggressions. This looks like an incredibly delicious meal.

[aria]

ya know... i bought this beautiful mortar and pestle at the dean and delucas in sonoma and only have used it once (right now its a splenda package holder). i need to dust it off and make burmese noodles. these look SOOO good! you know the way to my heart sher, purrrrrr.....

[Ruth]

Sher, what a beautiful dish and what a great release for frustration. I, too bring out my mortar and pestle when annoyed!

[ann]

that sounds AMAZING! I love Burmese food but had never thought of making it myself. It's always been something that arrives in little white containers for lunch. thanks for putting that nugget into my head Sher!

[Glenna]

Yummy! I would love to have celebrated spring coming in with those. And no kidding about the repairman. Isn't that just the way it always happens? Hope the reception doesn't go out again...we'll keep our fingers crossed.

[s'kat]

At least your frustrations produced a truly scrummy looking feast!

[tigerfish]

We both welcome Spring with a pasta dish :D
Bet you vented through, pounding in that M&P...your pasta-fusion look yummilicious!

[Christine]

This looks utterly delicious, Sher. I have two mortars and two pestles, one large set, one small. One for large frustrations and one for smaller frustrations. They serve their purpose well.

[sher]

Gattina,

Ah yes! You can always count on the cable company to cause a lot of frustration!

Ari,

Well, thank you! You've had me drooling, especially the last post of yours!

E,

Oh yes!! You should get the mortar and pestle. For sure!!! It's also good to serve dips and such.

Kristen,

It was a satisfying meal. First I did some emotional exercise--then I got to eat the food.

Aria,

Well, a mortar and pestle always wants to feel usefull. They're like border collies. So, it's happy to hold the Splenda packets. It knows you will need it some day.

Ruth,

Oh yes! You can pound as hard as you want--and it won't break.

Ann,

Well, I bet you have fabulous Burmese restaurants there. No me! I have to make this stuff!

Glenna,

So far the reception is OK. BUT--we just got our cable bill and they charged us for a pay-for-view movie that we never saw. That means I have to call them and wait on hold for 10 minutes.

s'kat,

Thank you. At least I have the satisfaction that something good came out of it!

Tigerfish,

Yes! Pasta for spring. Makes sense, don't you think!!! Great minds think a
like. :):)

Christine,

I also have two of them. I think the smaller one would be handy to throw at burglars. :):) Thunk on the head!

[Julie]

That looks like a great first-day-of spring tradition.

[begered]

That looks so yummy. I think I am gong to eat lunch now! Just looking at the piture got my stomach all excited...

[mohamedolia]

burma food recipes