About this component
The crunchy, savory Burmese relish of dried shrimp fried with masses of garlic, shallot and chile — spooned over rice as a condiment that is a meal's companion in itself.
Component facts
- Yield
- About 1.5 cups (360 ml)
- Prep
- 30 minutes
- Heat
- Medium
Development draft. This is an untested development recipe from the cookbook project. It has not been kitchen-tested, and the quantities and timings are the author’s working draft rather than a verified result.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100 g) dried shrimp, ground
- 1 cup (150 g) garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (150 g) shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp (12 g) chili flakes
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil
- 1 tsp (5 g) shrimp paste (ngapi), optional
- Salt to taste
Method
- Fry the sliced garlic in oil until golden and crisp; remove.
- Fry the shallots until golden; remove.
- Fry the ground dried shrimp gently until fragrant and dry.
- Combine everything with chili flakes and optional ngapi; season.
- Cool completely so it crisps.
Notes from the book
- Balancing
- Deeply savory, garlicky and gently hot; cook the shrimp dry for crunch.
- Substitutions
- No true vegetarian substitute; fried garlic and chili approximate the crunch only.
- Storage and food safety
- Cool completely and store airtight, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks. Contains shellfish (dried shrimp/ngapi).
Pairs with in this book
Steamed rice; Burmese rice meals generally.
The Complete Edition
Balachaung (Fried Shrimp & Garlic Relish) sits in the foundations
The book carries this component alongside the other twenty-three, the twenty-seven pantry studies, and the Myanmar chapter it belongs to.
In review with Amazon KDP
Both editions have been submitted to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and are currently in review. Submitted prices are $9.99 for the kindle edition and $49.99 for the paperback. Neither is on sale yet, and prices are as submitted rather than final.