Mormors Kaukswe Food

MORMOR'S KAUKSWE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into large pieces, rub with turmeric and simmer in water with salt until tender. Remove the meat from the bones, reserve chicken stock.
• Process 4 onions, garlic and ginger or pound with morter and pestle.
• Slice one onion and brown in oil, add the chicken and fry for a few minutes. Add the onion and garlic mixture and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the chili powder. Simmer 30 minutes.
• Mix the split pea flour with cold water (you can substitute cornstarch if you must), add this to the stock stirring constantly, cook for 15 minutes.
• Prepare the coconut liquid by cutting the coconut up and putting it in a blender with 3 c hot water. Blend and strain. Add the liquid to the chicken stock and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Blanch the noodles. Serve separately with the garnishes. Each person serves themselves to their own preference.

OHN-NO-KAUK-SWE (BURMESE CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• Put the vermicelli and noodles in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water. As they soften, use two forks to separate the strands. When fully softened, drain them in a colander, and set aside.
• Rub the chicken with the fish sauce, and set aside.
• Dissolve the chickpea flour in the water, and set aside.
• In a food processor, blend together the onions, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chillies. When well-blended, add 1/4 cup of the coconut cream, and process to a smooth paste.
• Heat the peanut oil in a pan large enough to hold all the soup ingredients. Add the paste and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken and continue frying for another 3 minutes, still stirring. Add half the stock (2 1/2 cups) and one stock cube, if used, and bring to a boil. Continue cooking another 15-20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. You want the sauce to start thickening.
• While the soup is cooking, prepare the garnishes, and set aside.
• While the soup is cooking, also heat the other half of the stock (and a second stock cube, if used) in another pan until it starts to boil. Add the dissolved (and stirred again) chickpea flour/water mixture, still stirring well to minimise lumps. When this thickens some (about 5 minutes) pour this mixture through a sieve into the pan containing the chicken mixture. Stir well. (The sieve is important -- no matter how much you stir, there are still a few lumps.).
• When the soup just starts to boil, add the remaining coconut cream. Then bring soup back to a rolling boil.
• While the soup is returning to a rolling boil, bring a full 2-liter kettle of water to the boil, then pour the hot water over the vermicelli and egg noodles you softened earlier. Get the garnishes ready to serve.
• Let diners serve themselves. Have each person put some noodles in their soup bowl, then ladle over the soup/chicken mixture and top with the garnishes they like. Those who like salty should add a few shots of extra fish sauce.
• Attack with a spoon and fork while the soup is hot.
• Note: We use all the garnishes -- liberally.

PANTHE KAUKSWE - BURMESE CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Cut chicken into serving pieces.
• Put Garlic,onion,ginger,ngapi, in blender and blend to a smooth paste; adding some of the peanut oil if paste becomes to dry.
• Heat remanding oils in a wok (or pan) and fry mixture off for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and fry for a further few minutes.
• Add chilli powder,salt and thin coconut milk and simmer gently until chicken is tender. (45 minutes - 1 hr approx). If it becomes to dry add some hot water - a little at a time.
• Take off heat and add thick coconut milk and bring the pot SLOWLY to a boil. Stir constantly to prevent curdling.
• Mix Chick pea with a little cold water to a smooth paste and add to the curry, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Cook the noodles in a pot of salted boiling water until tender around 6-8 minutes.
• Drain the noodles and place in bowls, serve the curry on top with fried garlic and peanuts as accompaniments.