Noodle! by MiMi Aye

Author:MiMi Aye
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781472910608
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2014-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Coconut Chicken Noodles

Smoky Mushroom and Glass Noodle Soup

Kyar-zun Hin or Kyar-zun Jet (Burma)

My mother’s family is from Mogok, which borders the mountainous Shan State in Burma. Her brothers decided to stay there, so whenever we visited, we’d undertake a 6-hour journey by pick-up truck up a narrow, winding mountain path from Mandalay. Halfway up the mountain, we’d pause at a little village called Shwenyaungbin (Golden Banyan) to stretch our legs and for the driver to have a rest. The smouldering smell of wood burning marked this recognised truck stop where we’d draw our tiny stools closer to the fire and indulge in Kyar-zun Hin aka Kyar-zun Jet, an intense smoky broth packed with sweet, charred shrimps, earthy wood-ear mushrooms and slippery bean-thread noodles. With a sprinkle of smoke-roasted chilli, a dash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime, every spoonful warmed us and dazzled our tastebuds.

Serves 4 | Takes 30 minutes to make, 1 hour 15 minutes to cook

500g dried mung-bean thread noodles

For the soup

handful of dried lily flowers

handful of dried wood-ear mushrooms

handful of dried shrimps

2 medium onions, cut into wedges

8 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp tomato purée

¼ tsp MSG or 1 tbsp Marigold bouillon powder

2 tbsp fish sauce

200g ready-made fish balls, halved

To garnish

8 quail’s eggs or 4 duck eggs, soft-boiled, cooled, peeled and cut into wedges

chilli flakes

2 medium onions, shaved thinly, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained

handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

lime wedges

Tie the lily flowers into knots. Put them in a heatproof bowl with the wood-ear mushrooms, generously cover with just-boiled water and leave to soak for 15 minutes until soft. Do not drain, but snip the mushrooms into smaller pieces with scissors. Set to one side.

Toast the dried shrimps in a hot dry frying pan for 8–10 minutes until almost black. Tip the toasted shrimps into a large, deep stockpot and add the onion wedges, garlic, tomato purée and 1 litre water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour.

Add the mushrooms and lily flowers (including the water they were soaking in) to the soup. Pour in another 1 litre of water and add the MSG and fish sauce. Bring the soup back to the boil, then add the fish balls and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the noodles and remove from the stove – the noodles will cook in the residual heat.

When you’re ready to serve, bring the soup back to the boil, then dish up into 4 noodle bowls, making sure every bowl has a bit of everything. Garnish with the eggs, chilli flakes, shaved onions and chopped coriander. Serve with soup spoons or metal Asian soup spoons, with lime wedges on the side.

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