Assorted Myanmar Fritters
WHEN talking about traditional Myanmar cuisine, one food that must always be mentioned is the assorted Myanmar fritters. These fritters are loved not only by the Myanmar people but also by foreign visitors travelling around Myanmar.
Myanmar fritters taste especially delicious when enjoyed in the morning with hot rice or alongside tea. They also make a perfect snack in the afternoon when paired with traditional Myanmar green tea. The taste is simply delightful.
Therefore, this week, we would like to share an easy homemade recipe for traditional Myanmar assorted fritters. The method is simple, the ingredients are easy to find, and whichever vegetables you use, the fritters will turn out crispy and tasty.
Ingredients
- For the batter (measurements in tablespoons)
• Tempura flour (fritter flour) — 15 tablespoons (or Shwe Butterfly fritter flour) (For those who do not want to use ready-made fritter flour, mix: 2 parts rice flour, 1-part glutinous rice flour, 1 part semolina, and 1 part gram flour.)
• Chickpea flour – 1 tablespoon
• Rice flour – 1 tablespoon
• Glutinous rice flour – 2 tablespoons
• Baking soda – about ⅓ tablespoon
• Water – 240 millilitres
• Salt and chicken powder – to taste
• Egg white – 1 tablespoon
- For the tamarind dipping sauce
• Thick tamarind paste – 2 tablespoons
• Fish sauce – 2 tablespoons
• Palm jaggery syrup (medium consistency) – about ½ tablespoon
• Water – 6 tablespoons
• Garlic (pounded finely) – 1 tablespoon
• Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – about ½ tablespoon
• Roasted chickpea powder – slightly over ½ tablespoon
• Roasted chilli powder – 1 tablespoon
• Chicken powder – a little
Cooking Instructions Vegetable fritters
(Bottle gourd, potato, tofu, okra, pennywort leaves, water spinach)
Mix all the flours with water and seasonings until smooth. Dip the thinly sliced vegetables into the batter and deep-fry in hot oil until crispy. Pennywort leaves and water spinach leaves can also be fried using the same method.
Flat fritters
(Onion, bean sprouts, corn)
For these fritters, do not mix the batter with water beforehand. First, combine all the dry ingredients. Then add the sliced onions, bean sprouts, or corn into the flour mixture. Gradually sprinkle in water little by little while mixing. Once the mixture becomes moist without turning watery, spread it into round shapes on a wet plate and gently slide them into hot oil for frying.
Bean fritters (Bayar Kyaw)
Soak chickpeas overnight and grind them coarsely. Add curry leaves, masala, and seasonings to the ground chickpeas. Add enough water until the mixture can be shaped by hand, then form and fry them. (For convenience, ready-made bean fritter mix can also be used.)
Tamarind dipping sauce
To make the dipping sauce, combine the prepared tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm jaggery syrup, water, garlic, coriander leaves, chickpea powder, and chilli powder in a bowl and mix well. The addition of chickpea powder gives the sauce a richer aroma.
By following this method, you can make homemade assorted fritters that taste even better than those sold at fritter shops outside. Enjoy the crispy fritters dipped in fragrant tamarind sauce, together with your family. — MOON
