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Burmese curry

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Burmese curry refers to a diverse array of dishes in Burmese cuisine that consist of protein or vegetables simmered or stewed in an aromatic curry base Burmese curries generally differ from other Southeast Asian curries (e.g., Thai curry) in that Burmese curries make use of dried spices in addition to fresh herbs and aromatics, and are often milder. Burmese curries are readily available in curry houses throughout the country. They are traditionally accompanied with rice and a variety of side dishes, soups, and Burmese salads called athoke. Burmese curries may also be paired with Indian breads like nanbya, palata, aloo puri, and toshay.


Table of contents

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1. Ingredients
2. Terminology
3. List of Burmese curries
• Pork
• Poultry
• Goat and beef
• Fish and seafood
• Other
• Noodle curries

Ingredients

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A curry base of fresh aromatics including onions, shallots, garlic, chilis, ginger, and turmeric powder is typically used to prepare most Burmese curries. Dried spices such as paprika, chili powder, spice mixes like garam masala (generically called masala in Burmese (????)) also feature in many Burmese curries. The Burmese masala spice blend typically consists of ground cinnamon or cassia, cardamon, cloves, and black pepper.

The curry base and dried spices are then fried in heated oil, in a process called hsi that (?????, lit. 'to kill the oil'). Some Burmese curries also require the use of fresh herbs, such as lemongrass, curry leaf, pyindawthein, and fresh tamarind paste. Shan and Kachin curries make more liberal use of fresh herbs such as galangal and sawtooth coriander. Burmese curries are generally seasoned using fish sauce, salt, or ngapi (fermented shrimp or fish paste), and are traditionally cooked in a blend of peanut oil and sesame oil.


Terminology

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The Burmese language does not have a single word for "curry;" the closest approximation is the word hin (????), which is used to describe protein-based dishes eaten with rice. Burmese curries can be generally categorized by cooking technique, used ingredients, or region.

The most common variety is called hsibyan (??????; lit. 'oil returns'), which is typified by a layer of oil that separates from the gravy and meat after cooked. The name itself refers to the cooking technique that is used. In hsibyan, the curry ingredients are simmered in a combination of water and oil until the water has completely boiled off, leaving a layer of oil that separates and rises to the top, which enables the raw and potent curry paste ingredients to properly blend and become milder in taste. Another common variety of curries is called hnat (????; lit. 'tenderized'), in which gamier proteins like goat are braised or slowly simmered. The names of other Burmese curries are typically suffixed with -hin (-????) or -chet (-????).


List of Burmese curries

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The repertoire of Burmese curries has not been codified. Common variations of Burmese curries are listed below.

Pork

• Pork sibyan (????????????) - classic Burmese curry with fatty cuts of pork
• Pork hnat (??????????) - a sweetened pork curry braised with vinegar and soy sauce
• Pork and pickled mango curry (?????????????????????) - a sour and sweet pork curry cooked with pickled mangoes
• Pork tripe sibyan (??????????????) - a curry of pork intestines and viscera (kaliza)
• Red braised pork curry (????????????) - a sweet braised curry of caramelized pork belly and soy sauce similar to Chinese red braised pork belly
• Fermented bean paste pork curry (???????????????) - a curry of pork cooked with pon ye gyi (fermented bean paste)
• Pork and bamboo shoot curry (???????????????) - a sour curry of pork and pickled bamboo shoots
• Pork meatball sibyan (????????????????) - a curry of fried pork meatballs cooked in gravy
• Fermented tea leaf pork hnat (????????????????) - a sour and spicy curry of pork braised with lahpet (pickled tea leaves)

Poultry

• Chicken sibyan (?????????????) - the classic Burmese curry, served with a thick gravy of aromatics
• Bachelor's chicken curry (??????????????) - a red and watery chicken curry cooked with calabash
• Kachin-style chicken curry (?????????????) - an herbal curry of chicken cooked with basil, sawtooth coriander, Vietnamese coriander, and dried metlin bark
• Mon-style chicken curry (????????????) - a watery chicken curry, cooked with dried marian plum, lemongrass stalks and sawtooth coriander
• Chicken and potato curry (???????????) - an Indian-inspired curry of chicken and potatoes cooked with a masala spice mix
• Chicken and chickpea curry (??????????????????)
• Duck sibyan (???????????) - a curry of duck cooked with dried spices (e.g., star anise or cumin), and served with a thick gravy of aromatics

Goat and beef

• Beef hnat (???????) - a braised beef curry similar to Indonesian rendang
• Goat hnat (???????????) - a braised goat curry spiced with masala, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, and cloves
• Goat and chickpea curry (??????????????????)

Fish and seafood

• Fried fish curry (???????????? or ????????????) - a curry of deep-fried steak cuts of fish and tomatoes
• Steamed hilsa curry (???????????????) - a curry of hilsa fish and tomatoes, which is slowly simmered to melt the fish bones
• Sardine curry (?????????????) - a curry of sardines cooked with tomatoes
• Prawn sibyan (????????????) - a curry of whole prawns cooked in a sibyan gravy and shrimp oil (????????), similar to tomalley
• Snakefish intestine sibyan (??????????????) - a curry of striped snakefish intestines
• Eel sibyan (??????????????)
• Catfish and morinda sibyan (????????????????????) - a curry of walking catfish and morinda leaves

Other

• Egg curry (??????????????) - a sour curry made with hardboiled duck or chicken eggs, cooked in tamarind paste and mashed tomatoes
• Eggplant curry (????????????) - a curry of slow-cooked eggplants and tomatoes
• Lablab bean hnat (??????????) - a curry of braised lablab beans
• Roselle curry (?????????????) - a sour curry of roselle leaves, bamboo shoots, and dried shrimp
• Khayan thi ngachauk chet (?????????????????????) - aubergine cooked lightly with a small amount of oil, with dried fish and chilli
• Kima palata (???????????) - a paratha stuffed with curried ground meat (keema)
• Pyay palata (?????????) - a salad of paratha, chicken and potato curry, and raw onions
• Tofu curry (??????????) - Sliced Burmese tofu curried with fresh tomatoes, onions and garlic, cooked in peanut oil and fish sauce, and garnished with coriander and green chilli

Noodle curries

Specially prepared curries also form the base for several Burmese noodle dishes, including:

• Ohn no khauk swe (?????????????????) - a coconut milk noodle soup, served in a broth of chicken curry
• Shwedaung khauk swe (?????????????????) - a dry noodle dish of egg noodles, served with chicken curry and coconut milk
• Nangyi thoke (????????????) - a salad of thick rice noodles, mixed with chicken curry and gravy
• Panthay khauk swe (???????????????) - a fried noodle dish of Chinese Muslim origin, served with a chicken curry cooked in a blend of spices including cardamom, cloves, star anise, and bay leaf

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