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Burmese pennywort salad
Myin khwa ywet thoke (မြင်းခွာရွက်သုပ်): round pennywort leaves with fried garlic, toasted gram flour and lime
Myin khwa, 'horse's hoof', is the Burmese name for pennywort, after the shape of its round leaves, and Mandalay grandmothers swear by a plate of it to cool the body during the hot months before the monsoon. The fresh leaves are slightly bitter and grassy, a little like watercress, and they are tossed by hand with toasted chickpea flour, crushed peanuts, crunchy fried garlic and its oil, lime juice, tomato and sliced onion. The salad is served as a side to rich curries, where its clean sourness cuts through the oil. Wet leaves ruin it: the dressing slides off and turns watery, so dry them completely after washing. Chef's tip: look for pennywort sold as gotu kola at Asian and Sri Lankan grocers; young watercress makes a fair stand-in.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the garlic oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 garlic clovesthinly sliced
For the salad
- 1 ½ tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour)
- 5 ½ oz pennywort (gotu kola) leavesthick stems removed, washed and spun dry
- 1 tomatoseeded and thinly sliced
- ½ small onionvery thinly sliced
- 1 oz roasted peanutscrushed
- 1 limejuiced
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 green chilli (optional)finely chopped
To serve
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 5 garlic cloves in a small cold pan and set over a medium-low heat. Fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the slices are light golden and crisp. Lift out the garlic and keep the oil; it turns bitter if it goes past pale gold.
5 minStep 2: Toast 1 ½ tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour) in a dry pan over a low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns pale beige. Let cool.
3 minStep 3: Roll 5 ½ oz pennywort (gotu kola) leaves in a clean tea towel to absorb the last drops of water, then roughly tear any very large leaves.
Step 4: Put the leaves, 1 tomato and ½ small onion in a bowl. Add the toasted flour, 1 oz roasted peanuts, 1 lime, ½ tsp salt, 1 green chilli and the garlic oil.
Step 5: Toss with your hands for 30 seconds, until every leaf is lightly coated. Taste and add more lime or salt.
Step 6: Pile onto a plate and scatter with the fried garlic and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds. Serve straight away, before the leaves wilt.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does burmese pennywort salad take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of tomato?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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