Рецепт Burmese Shrimp Curry and Smoky Napa Stir-Fry
I am insanely jealous of Naomi
Duguid. This writer, photographer, cook
and traveller has made a career out seeing of the world and bringing it home in
cookbooks. What a dream job for a foodie
with wanderlust! Duguid has written six
books about Asian cooking alone and this year came out with “Burma: Rivers of
Flavor” (Artisan 2013). The book won the
International Association of Culinary Professionals (ICAP) 2013 award for
Culinary Travel for Naomi and her co-author Jeff Alford. Burma, or Myanmar, is a country steeped in
mystery. An ancient civilization, it
became a British colony in the 1800s and only gained independence in 1948. Unfortunately Independence heralded the
arrival of one of the longest civil wars ever recorded. In fact, it was untouched by the outside
world for generations and really has only opened up in 2010. As a result, it is
one of the least-developed countries in the entire world.
To
get to know its culture, what better way to learn than through its food. That’s what Duguid has done in her book. It not only features recipes, it tells the
story of the country through amazing photographs of its geography and its
people. At the crossroads of China, India and Thailand, it absorbed the
influences of its neighbors and then created a cuisine all its own. The country of 50,000,000 people is filled
with ethnic groups that also influence what it eats and where. The Buddhists avoid beef and the Muslims
avoid pork. There’s a healthy vegetarian
culture but most recipes call for fish or meat broths.
In the end, what you learn about Burma is that
its cuisine is unlike any other Asian style of cooking. It took techniques from
China, breads and biryanis from India and shares ingredients found in Thai
cooking. The techniques may be the same but the food is
decidedly not. I chose to make two
dishes that immediately caught my eye: One was for a simple shrimp curry and
the other for a stir-fry of cabbage that was recommended as
a side dish to accompany it. These
recipes were very simple to make. And
their ingredients are easy to find in any large supermarket—particularly one
with an Asian food aisle. In fact, aside
from the Fish and Oyster Sauces, you don’t even have to haunt that aisle to put
these dishes on your dinner table. Even
the chiles they contain are given a list of easy-to-find chile
substitutes. What was amazing about
these results is that this not fire-eating Asian or Indian cuisine. If
anything, Andrew and I might have squirted a little sriracha into both because
we like heat. But you could probably
serve this to a young child without getting a grimace. Tomatoes are a great foil for shrimp and this
dish is beautiful to look at. Although the original recipe gave the lime as an
optional ingredient, do not leave it out. It elevates the entire dish. The side dish, a stir fry of Napa Cabbage,
gets its somewhat smoky flavor from the Oyster Sauce but again, it’s mild and tame.
Here are the recipes for a dinner that you
can get on the table in well under an hour.
Recipe for Burmese Shrimp Curry from
Naomi Duguid’s “Burma:Rivers of Flavor.”
Serves 4. Under 30 minutes to make.
- Generous 1 pound smaller shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1½ cups chopped ripe
- tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 green cayenne
- chiles, seeded and minced, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt, or
- to taste
- About ¼ cup
- coriander leaves (optional)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- (optional)
- 1. Rinse the shrimp and set aside. If you have a mortar, pound the minced
- shallots and garlic to a paste. Heat the oil in a wok or a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
- turmeric and stir, then toss in the shallots and garlic, lower the heat to
medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 2
minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for several minutes at a medium boil,
stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are well softened and the oil has
risen to the surface.
3. Add the water and fish sauce, bring to a medium boil, and add the shrimp.
Cook for several minutes, or until the shrimp start to turn pink, then toss in
the minced chiles and salt, stir briefly, and remove from the heat. Taste and
adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. Turn out into a bowl, top with the coriander leaves, if using, and put out
lime wedges, if you wish. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Recipe for
Smoky Napa Cabbage Stir Fry from Naomi Duguid’s “Burma: Rivers of Flavor”
Serves 4. Takes under 30 minutes to make.
1 scant
Tbsp. oyster sauce
1. Cut the
cabbage crosswise into ¼-inch strips, then slice them crosswise to make
bite-sized pieces (You should have 4 loosely packed cups.). Place in a bowl of
cold water to wash thoroughly, then lift out, drain and set aside.
2. Pour the
hot water into a small bowl, add the oyster sauce and stir well. Set aside.
3. Place a
medium or large wok or large deep skillet over high heat. Add the oil, then
lower the heat to medium-high and stir in the turmeric. Add the chiles, shallot
and ginger and stir-fry about 30 seconds, until the shallot starts to soften. Raise
the heat to high, add the chopped cabbage and salt, and stir-fry, tossing and
pressing the greens against the hot sides of the pan. When they have wilted and
softened, about 2 to 3 minutes, add the oyster sauce mixture. Bring to a boil,
turn and stir for another 15 seconds or so to distribute flavors and finish
cooking the greens, then turn out into a wide shallow bowl. Serve hot or at room temperature.