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Burmese tomato salad
Khayan chin thee thoke (ခရမ်းချဉ်သီးသုပ်): ripe tomatoes with toasted gram flour, peanuts and shallot oil
Come the cool season, when tomatoes are at their sweetest in Mandalay and the dry towns of Upper Burma, this thoke (a salad 'mixed by hand') is the quick dish that appears beside rice and curry at almost every meal. Slices of ripe tomato and onion are squeezed together with toasted chickpea flour, crushed peanuts and fried shallots in their oil, so the juices and flour turn into a light, nutty dressing that clings to every piece. Lime and fresh chilli sharpen it, and coriander lifts it. Home cooks often add fish sauce; this vegetarian version uses salt and a pinch of sugar. Dressing it too early is the most common mistake: salt pulls water from the tomatoes and leaves a soupy plate. Chef's tip: mix with your fingertips just before serving, pressing lightly so some tomato juice blends into the flour.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the shallot oil
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 shallotsthinly sliced
For the salad
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour)
- 4 ripe tomatoessliced into thin wedges
- ½ small red onionvery thinly sliced, rinsed in cold water
- 1 green chillithinly sliced
- 1 ⅜ oz roasted peanutsroughly crushed
- 1 limejuiced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 handful fresh corianderroughly chopped
To serve
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry 3 shallots for 5–6 minutes, until evenly golden and crisp. Tip into a heatproof bowl, oil and all, and let cool.
6 minStep 2: Toast 2 tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour) in a dry pan over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns light beige and smells nutty. Tip onto a plate straight away so it doesn't keep browning.
4 minStep 3: Put 4 ripe tomatoes, ½ small red onion and 1 green chilli in a wide bowl.
Step 4: Just before serving, add the toasted flour, 1 ⅜ oz roasted peanuts, 1 lime, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar and most of the shallots with their oil.
Step 5: Mix with your fingertips for 30 seconds, gently pressing the tomatoes so a little juice blends with the flour into a creamy coating.
Step 6: Taste for lime and salt, fold in 1 handful fresh coriander, and finish with the remaining shallots and ½ tsp dried chilli flakes. Serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does burmese tomato salad take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- 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 shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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