Ngapi Kyaw

November 13, 2020

Ngapi Kyaw - kvalifood.com

A Burmese fried condiment of dried shrimp floss, shrimp paste, shallots, garlic, and chilli. Each ingredient is fried separately for maximum crispness, then combined into a dry, shelf-stable relish. It is a fixture at Burmese almsgiving ceremonies and a common side with plain rice and raw vegetables.

Makes ca. 350-400 g

Ingredients

200 g dried shrimp
200 g shallots, thinly sliced
30 g garlic (ca. 6 cloves), thinly sliced
15 g fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
250 ml peanut oil, for frying
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp shrimp paste (ngapi)
1 tsp chilli powder
2-3 dried red chillies, stemmed (optional)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp lime juice (or white vinegar)
1 tsp salt

Directions

Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry thoroughly. Pound in a mortar and pestle or pulse in a food processor until reduced to fluffy strands, not a paste.
Mix the shrimp paste with 2 tbsp warm water and the lime juice. Stir until dissolved and set aside.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry the sliced shallots, stirring occasionally then more frequently as they colour, until golden and crisp – about 10-15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Fry the garlic slices until light golden, about 1-2 minutes. Remove immediately and drain.
Fry the ginger strips until crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Remove and drain.
Fry the whole dried chillies if using until darkened, about 30 seconds. Remove, cool, and crumble roughly.
Add the shrimp floss to the oil along with the turmeric and chilli powder. Fry over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
Pour in the dissolved shrimp paste mixture. Reduce heat and stir until the liquid evaporates and the mixture darkens, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sesame oil and stir through.
Transfer the shrimp mixture to a large bowl. Let everything cool completely. Add the fried shallots, garlic, ginger, crumbled chillies, and salt. Toss gently. Adjust salt – the shrimp paste already contributes saltiness.
Transfer to a clean, dry glass jar. Stores at room temperature for 2-3 weeks, or refrigerated for up to 2 months. Use a clean, dry spoon.

Notes

The shrimp floss texture is critical. Over-processing into a paste makes the result heavy and clumpy instead of light and crispy.
Frying each component separately is what gives balachaung-style ngapi kyaw its characteristic dry crispness.
The flavoured frying oil is valuable. Strain and save it for fried rice or noodles.
For the jam-like variant (ngapi chet), blend tomatoes and cook everything together in oil for 45-50 minutes until thick. That is a different dish.
Serve at room temperature with rice, raw vegetables, or as part of a Burmese spread. A small spoonful goes a long way.