I’ve never been to Myanmar (Burma). But I first tried Burmese food in India, a popular chain restaurant called Burma Burma. It was tasty yet not spicy like Indian food, though they partly share the same spices.
Burmese food made me a good impression.
However, it’s not easy to find Burmese food in Europe. One day, I read a western cookbook that mentioned this Burmese cookbook, and it triggered my interest: How do Burmese people cook actually?
So I borrowed a rare-to-find Burmese cookbook, ‘Mandalay’, and the first recipe I tried was a simple green bean salad. With only 6 ingredients and easy steps, a hassle-free, delicious and warm salad is served.
Fresh or Frozen Green Bean?
Fresh is better than frozen if you’re after crunchiness. From my own experience, frozen green beans tend to be watery and kind of rubbery. But they are super convenient! If I make mixed veg curry, I use frozen beans; if I want the beans taste to pop, then I use fresh.
How to Serve Green Bean Salad
I find it goes well with rice, no matter short or long grains, so I like to serve it warm. Since every bean is coated with peanut sauce, I can imagine that it could be a great wrap filling too! But in this case, chopping the green beans into dice size would be better.
Now, let’s look into the recipe.
Ingredients
Serves 3 as a side dish or starter
- a pack of Fresh green beans (220 g)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ tin of plum tomatoes
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- juice of ¼ lime
- salt
How to Make Burmese Green Bean Salad with Peanut Sauce
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, stir in the onions and a pinch of salt, sauté over medium-low heat until they are softened and pale gold, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt to the pan. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mash the tomatoes. Keep cooking over low heat until the water evaporated, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile, trim and cut the green beans into about 5 cm long. Blanch them in rapidly boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Run them under cold water to achieve the crunchiness. Drain and set aside.
- Back to the sauce. It should look a bit dry. Add the fish sauce and peanut butter. Stir well. Coat the beans with this delicious peanut sauce. Serve warm or chilled.
One More Easy Dish Ideas
- Moroccan Mezze Recipe: Courgette and Egg Salad with Cumin : Make in 20 minutes.
- Pan-fry Padrón Pepper (5 mins Tapas at Home) : Just like the one you eat in restaurants.
- Sesame Crispy Tofu Recipe in 15 mins (No Deep-fry): I cook this every week.
- Wakame Seaweed and Bean Sprouts Salad: Isn’t it too easy to make?
- Scallion Sauce Mussels Recipe (10 Mins, HK Style): Warning! Cook more rice!
