Out of the Shadows : Burmese Food in the Southland

“You cannot go away without eating,” protested Rosalind Sein as I rose to depart. “It’s Burmese tradition to always feed friends who come to your home.”

Although Sein was busy packing for a trip to Myanmar, she had nevertheless arranged lunch. Her daughter Evelyn had made a fish casserole. Sein herself had prepared a green bean salad with the toasty flavors of roasted peanut powder and sesame seeds. This she served with steamed rice and a soup that contained dried mushrooms brought from Myanmar.

Sein, of Cheviot Hills, is president of the executive committee of the Burma Buddhist Monastery in La Puente. This is the largest of the three Burmese monasteries in Southern California. The others are in Azusa and Pomona.

Unless you know people like Sein and Leilei Nwe Thein (see Great Home Cooks, below) or are connected with the monasteries, you will have few opportunities to taste genuine Burmese food in Southern California. Once admitted to the Burmese “loop,” though, you will be introduced to wonderful noodle dishes, curries, soups and salads unlike those of other Asian countries. The food is not extremely spicy, and it is often quite healthful, incorporating dried beans and many vegetables.

Fish and shrimp, both fresh and dried, are more typical than chicken and meat, which are expensive in Myanmar. Onion and garlic, fried until crisp, show up in dish after dish. Shrimp paste and fish sauce are in every larder. Coconut milk is also a staple, at least for southern dishes. In Upper Myanmar, where coconuts are expensive, it is less often seen.

Salads are a Burmese specialty. Unlike American combinations of greens and dressings, a Burmese salad might combine vegetables with roasted yellow bean powder, dried shrimp, fried onion and garlic, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds and sesame oil.

Desserts are not necessarily sweet. Sein serves a cake of steamed rice flour and mashed black beans heated and topped with sesame oil and salt. A clump of yellow sticky rice garnished with dried shrimp and fresh coconut shreds looks just like a Thai sweet but contains no sugar. Even cakes of agar or of rice flour and coconut milk intended to be sweet are less sugary than comparable Thai or Malay desserts.

Los Angeles once had a couple of Burmese markets, but they have closed. Burmese cooks find what they need at Thai, Chinese, Indian and Korean markets; import certain products from Myanmar, and grow hard-to-get greens such as the sour-tasting leaf chin baung themselves.

The Burmese population of Southern California numbers about 5,000. Within this community are caterers who supply such dishes as mohinga, the fish and rice noodle soup that Burmese typically eat for breakfast but crave at any time. Most of these caterers speak limited English and don’t seek a larger clientele.

At the Burma Buddhist Monastery, parishioners often arrange buffets of delicious home-cooked food. Such a meal might celebrate a birthday or follow ceremonies observing the anniversary of an ancestor’s death. Several hundred people crowd the grounds for an annual food fair in late summer. In the fall, the Kathina ceremony gives devotees an opportunity to obtain merit by donating robes to the monks. This event is also followed by a meal.

At the monastery, one might taste mohinga, chicken curry, a noodle dish from Shan state in eastern Myanmar, fried squares of homemade garbanzo bean tofu, samosas (which show the Indian influence on Burmese food) and many other dishes. Desserts might include faluda, a popular sweet from India that combines gelatin bits, grass jelly, sago (a starch similar to tapioca pearls), milk, syrup, fruit, ice cream and custard. And sometimes there is lapet, a much loved snack of fermented tea leaves, nuts, sesame seeds and fried beans.

Lunch for the monks at last November’s Kathina ceremony included deep-fried yellow bean curd; yellow bean fritters; sour leaf combined with bamboo shoots, beans and shrimp; chicken curry; beef with ground red beans; pork with green beans and a chop suey-like mixture of cabbage, carrots, corn, chicken and shrimp.

Burmese restaurants are rare. There are several in the San Francisco area, but Burmese in the Southland agree that the best food is served at the Golden Triangle in Whittier. This 5-year-old restaurant has a Thai and Burmese menu, reflecting the backgrounds of the partners, Lily Yu, Michael Yu and Raymond Win from Myanmar and Pauli Win from Thailand.

A picture menu explains most of the dishes, but there are others not on the menu, like shrimp ball curry, cauliflower salad, rice salad and deep-fried hard-boiled eggs coated with curry sauce.

The Golden Triangle serves the two most popular Burmese noodle dishes, mohinga and ohn-no khaukswe, as well as the tea leaf snack lapet and a salad of shredded ginger, fried coconut, garlic, yellow peas, peanuts, sesame seeds and lemon sauce that is popular with Western diners. The owners grow their own specialty vegetables, including chin baung and drumstick, so flavors are authentic.

Crammed into a strip of Asian businesses on Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel, the Romantic Steak House hides its true identity behind a fanciful name. Run by ethnic Chinese from Myanmar, it is an extension of the Two-Cat noodle shop founded 75 years ago in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and torn down only a year or so ago. A sign in Burmese at the entrance points this out.

Partners Don and Morris Tan are sons of the noodle shop’s founder, who emigrated to Myanmar from southern China. The shop was on the sidewalk in front of a Burmese medicine dispensary named Two-Cat, and that was the source of its name.

Morris Tan makes the noodle dish as his father did, combining soft, fresh Chinese wheat flour noodles with ground pork, shrimp, oysters and cabbage. Burmese come to the restaurant just for this.

The Romantic Steak House is indeed a steak house, serving its meat Chinese-style, on a sizzling platter with Chinese steak sauce. The few Burmese dishes are lumped together with standard Chinese cuisine. Two-Cat noodles masquerade as “house special chow mein.” What the restaurant calls “curry chicken” is Burmese-style curry chicken kebab. And “hot spicy fish cake with lemon juice” is a Burmese salad of finely shredded fish cake and cabbage.

Sour leaf with bamboo shoots and shrimp is usually available although not on the menu. So is faluda. Jokingly called “Burmese milk shake,” faluda at the Romantic Steak House combines red and green agar strips, coconut shreds, firm custard and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a bowl of milky sauce. Whipped cream and a cherry top it off.

In California, Burmese food seems lighter and fresher than in Myanmar. There, oil is often added with a heavy hand.

And here, cooks like Evelyn Sein and Leilei Nwe Thein have adapted local ingredients to their recipes. Sein puts salmon in her fish casserole and moderates such strong seasonings as fish sauce and chiles. She eliminates fish sauce from this particular dish and adds chiles in large chunks as a garnish so they can be removed.

A health-conscious cook, Thein experiments with ground turkey in meat dishes, simmers chicken without the skin for her chicken salad and fries the crisp onion and garlic that Burmese add to so many dishes in canola oil.

Lunch at Rosalind Sein’s house was a delicious, light meal. Like other Burmese food that I’ve tasted here--in restaurants and in homes, purchased from caterers and at the Burmese Buddhist monastery--it indicates that this little-known cuisine deserves a lot more attention.

EVELYN SEIN’S FISH CASSEROLE

Galangal, an optional ingredient in this casserole, is a root similar to ginger that is used in Southeast Asian cuisines. Fresh galangal is available in many Thai grocery stores.

2 teaspoons oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 inch ginger root, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground chile

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1 tomato, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cilantro (cut into 2-inch lengths)

1 pound fish fillets (catfish, halibut, salmon or seabass, or a combination), cut in small chunks

1 stalk lemon grass, cut in 2-inch lengths

2 tablespoons sliced galangal, optional

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 serrano chiles, quartered

Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion, garlic and ginger and saute until onion is transparent. Add chili powder and turmeric and stir 3 minutes. Add tomato, cover and cook until soft. Stir in salt and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Add fish, lemon grass, galangal and vinegar mixed with water. Cover and simmer over low heat until fish is cooked, about 5 minutes. Serve topped with remaining cilantro and chile quarters.

Makes 4 small servings.

Each serving contains about:

151 calories; 506 mg sodium; 53 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 0.58 gram fiber.

GOLDEN TRIANGLE CAULIFLOWER SALAD

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 1/2 heads cauliflower

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Salt

1/2 onion, sliced thin

2 to 3 cloves garlic, sliced

Oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon paprika

Juice 1/2 lemon

Place sesame seeds in dry cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and toast until brown. Set aside.

Break up cauliflower heads into bite-size florets. Place in saucepan. Add water to cover, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, turmeric and salt to taste. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender. Drain. Set aside.

Fry onion and garlic in oil to cover until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in skillet. Add cumin, coriander, cardamom, mustard seeds and paprika and stir to blend. Add simmered cauliflower, remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar and lemon juice, then stir until ingredients are combined and cauliflower is heated through. Season to taste with salt. Add fried onion, garlic and toasted sesame seeds and toss to mix.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

155 calories; 69 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.34 grams fiber.

ROMANTIC STEAK HOUSE FISH CAKE SALAD

Buy the fish paste for this salad at a Chinese market. Shredded chicken, pork or cooked shrimp can be substituted. For the best flavor, season the salad with oil that has been used for deep-frying onions.

1/4 pound fish paste

Salt

Oil

2 cups cabbage, shredded fine

1/2 small onion, sliced fine

1 small carrot, cut into fine strips

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon bottled Chinese red chile sauce

1 teaspoon ground chile

Season fish paste with dash salt and form into thin flat cake.

Heat just enough oil to film bottom of heavy skillet. Place fish cake in skillet. Cook until browned on bottom, then turn to cook other side. Remove, cool and cut in thin strips.

Place fish cake strips in bowl. Add cabbage, onion, carrot and cilantro.

In separate small bowl, combine lemon juice, fish sauce, chile sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, chili powder and salt to taste. Mix well, add to salad and toss. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

GOLDEN TRIANGLE MOHINGA MOHINGA

“Mo” means snack, and “hingga” means spicy soup. Combine them and you have a delicious dish that Burmese eat on any occasion. The dal may be purchased at most Indian Indian grocery stores.

1/2 cup peeled split moong dal (mung beans) or masoor dal

Water

1/4 cup rice

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds catfish fillets

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1/4 cup oil

2 onions, chopped fine

1/2 cup chopped garlic

1 tablespoon fine-ground lemon grass

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger root

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 stalks lemon grass

6 shallots

1/2 (17 1/2-ounce) package rice sticks

Cook dal in water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash to paste. Set aside.

Toast rice on dry cast-iron skillet or griddle few minutes until lightly browned. Grind to fine powder in food processor or coffee grinder. Mix rice powder with enough water to form paste and set aside.

Toast black pepper on dry cast-iron skillet or griddle few minutes until fragrant, if desired, and set aside.

Remove any bones from fish. Place fish, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon turmeric in bowl and mix well. Let stand 15 minutes.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and remaining turmeric and saute until onions are translucent. Add garlic, ground lemon grass, ginger, paprika and reserved black pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Add fish and simmer until cooked through.

Place 2 quarts water in large pot. Add fish sauce, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and lemon grass stalks and bring to boil. Boil 15 minutes. Remove lemon grass and discard. Lower heat to simmer. Add fish mixture and cook 20 minutes. Add reserved rice and dal pastes and stir gently to mix. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Cut shallots in half, then separate layers. Add to pot and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.

Place rice sticks in pot of hot water and let stand 2 minutes, or until softened. Drain. Place mounds of rice sticks in large individual soup bowls. Ladle in fish mixture to cover noodles generously. Garnish with Bean Fritters and other garnishes as desired.

GARNISHES

Bean Fritters

2 tablespoons oil

6 to 8 large cloves garlic, sliced thin

4 to 6 small dried chiles

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Chopped cilantro

Sliced green onions

Fine-cut green beans

Lime wedges

Fish sauce

Prepare Bean Fritters as described in recipe. Heat oil in small skillet, add garlic slices and fry until golden brown. Set aside.

Toast chiles on dry cast-iron skillet or griddle few minutes until fragrant, then coarsely grind. Set aside. Place Bean Fritters, fried garlic, roasted chiles, hard-boiled eggs, chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, green beans, lime wedges and fish sauce in separate bowls to pass with soup.

Makes about 4 servings.

Each serving, without fritters or garnishes, contains about:

558 calories; 1,686 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 43 grams protein; 5.65 grams fiber.

BEAN FRITTERS

You can buy besan (garbanzo bean flour) and split, peeled chana dal in most Indian grocery stores.

1/3 cup split, peeled chana dal

2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour (besan)

1/3 cup rice flour

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 to 1 cup water

Oil

Soak chana dal in water to cover several hours or overnight.

Next day, combine bean and rice flours and turmeric. Stir in enough water to make fairly loose batter.

Drain chana dal and mix into batter. Heat enough oil for deep-frying in small heavy skillet. Add enough batter to make thin layer. If too thick, fritter will not be crisp. Fry until golden and crisp, turning to brown each side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter. Cool and store in airtight container. Break into pieces and serve with Mohinga.

Makes 24 bean fritters.

Each fritter contains about:

142 calories; 1 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.35 grams fiber.

CHIN CHIN’S SANWEN MAKIN

Chin Chin Lee of Montebello, who comes from Kachin State in northern Myanmar, makes this dessert which, she says, is popular throughout the country. She uses malted wheat cereal, otherwise known as Maltomeal.

1 1/2 cups malted wheat cereal

1 1/2 (13 1/2-ounce) cans coconut milk

2 1/2 cups dairy milk

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup butter

2 ounces white poppy seeds

Combine malted wheat cereal, coconut milk, dairy milk, sugar, oil and butter in large saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring, until mixture starts to thicken. Reduce heat and stir constantly until very thick, about 20 minutes. Spread in 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle poppy seeds evenly over top. Place under broiler and broil 15 minutes, turning to cook evenly if necessary. Cool, then cut into squares to serve.

Makes about 15 servings.

Each serving contains about:

428 calories; 59 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.19 grams fiber.