[ID: First image is a large, shallow dish filled with a bright yellowish orange soup filled with red cabbage and green onion and drizzled with coconut milk. A halved samosa sits in the soup and a plate of samosa is visible in the background. The second image is a close-up on the samosa resting in the soup, showing its deep brown filling. End ID.]
Samusa thouk (Burmese soup with split chickpeas, tamarind, and samosa)
Samusa thouk is a bright, savory, slightly spicy soup often eaten with leftover samusa. The samusa are broken and placed in a bowl, and the soup is then spooned over them.
My recipe makes Burnese samusa that are flavored with turmeric and black mustard seed and made richly sweet with the addition of jaggery—they play beautifully against the tartness of the tamarind in the soup. You may also use Indian samosa from frozen or from take-out.
Recipe under the cut!
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Ingredients:
8 Burmese samusa
1 Indian bay leaf (tej patta)*
2-3 dried Indian red chilis, broken in half
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp brown mustard seeds (rai)
1/3 cup neutral oil
1 red onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced (3 Tbsp)
1-inch chunk ginger, minced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sweet paprika (optional)
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 tsp black peppercorns, toasted and ground
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 cup water
8 cups (2 liters) vegetable stock
1 Tbsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup chana dal (split chickpeas), soaked in cool water for an hour**
1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)
Salt to taste (about 1 1/2 tsp)
Shredded red cabbage, mint, green onion, cilantro, and lemon or lime to serve
*Indian bay leaves are distinct from Turkish or California laurel bay leaves and have a different taste and fragrance. They will be labelled "tej patta" in an Asian or halaal grocery store, and have three vertical lines running along them from root to tip, rather than radiating out diagonally from a central vein. Omit if you don’t have any.
**You may substitute toor dal (split pigeon peas) for chana dal, or use moong dal (yellow lentils) in a pinch. These grams would not need to be soaked. If you have not soaked the chana dal, the cooking time will increase by about 20 minutes.
Instructions:
1. Heat 1/3 cup of a neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, in a large pot on medium.
2. Add bay leaf and dried chilis and fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add cumin and mustard seeds and fry until they are fragrant and popping into the air.
3. Add onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (15-20 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add chickpea flour and toast, stirring often, for a few minutes until fragrant and several shades darker. In a mixing bowl, whisk chickpea flour with 1/2 cup water until smooth.
5. Add ginger and garlic to the pot with the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, about 30 seconds until no longer raw-smelling. Add ground spices (turmeric, paprika, coriander, and black pepper) and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add lentils to the pot and toast for 2 minutes.
7. Add tamarind paste, vegetable stock, and chickpea flour mixture and stir to combine. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.
8. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the dal is tender and cooked through. Add coconut milk, if desired, and salt. Taste and adjust spices.
9. Serve warm over broken samusa. Top with shredded red cabbage and fresh herbs.
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Is a sinigang ramen possible? Apparently yes.
Ramo Ramen in London's Soho district merges a sampalok (tamarind) broth with noodles, nori, roasted tomato, soft-boiled egg, and two grilled prawns making this a seafood and halal sinigang ramen.
I also enjoyed the art there.
https://filipeanut.art/art-and-food-at-a-filipino-ramen-spot-in-london/
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