Vegetable Plate - Raw & Cooked
(click to enlarge)

Vegetable Plate - Raw, Cooked


Burma
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 any #
**
varies
Yes		 This is an almost universal accompaniment to lunch in Burma. Many restaurants bring this plate out as soon as you sit down at a table.
The photo example has; (raw) Daikon Radish, Carrots, Bitter Melon; (cooked) Long Beans, Okra, Gai Lan, Sweet Potato; (pickled) Mustard Greens - all with Burmese Chili Garlic Sauce.

Parboiled Vegies
Long Beans (1)
Okra
Cauliflower Florets
Broccoli Florets
Water Spinach Stems  
Gai Lan Sprigs (2)
Daikon Sticks (3)
Luffa Sticks
Sweet Potato Sticks
Stem Lettuce

Raw Vegies
Cucumber Sticks (4)
Carrot Sticks
Daikon Sticks (3)
Cabbage Wedges
Long Beans (1)
Zucchini Sticks
Jicama Sticks
Bitter Melon Slices (5)  
Celery Sticks (8)
Okra

Pickled Vegies
Mustard Greens (6)
Bamboo Shoots
Pickled Long Beans  

Condiments
Chili Garlic Sauce (7)

Selection    
Select 3 or 4 items from the Parboiled Vegies and 3 or 4 from the Raw Vegies, and perhaps one from the Pickled Vegies. You should have about 6 pieces per person. You may serve with dip(s) or without.

Par Boiling    
  1. Peel and trim VEGIES as needed and cut into convenient pieces sized to be handled with the fingers and long enough to dip.
  2. Bring plenty of lightly salted Water to a rolling boil.
  3. One vegetable at a time, dump pieces into the water and boil just long enough to be crisp tender and pleasant to eat. Scoop out with a spider or similar and refresh in cold water. Drain well.
Raw Vegies   -   (5 min)
  1. Peel and trim VEGIES as needed and cut into convenient pieces sized to be handled with the fingers and long enough to dip.
Pickled Vegies   -   (5 min)
  1. Cut VEGIES into convenient pieces sized to be handled with the fingers. Drain well so pickling juice won't contaminate other Vegies. Pickled items are not dipped.
NOTES:

  1. Long Beans:

    these have a darker, sweeter taste than Green Beans, and cook firmer. They are now widely available in North America. For details see our Long Beans page.

  2. Gai Lan:

      This is Chinese Broccoli, nearly identical in appearance to Italian Broccoli Rabe which can be used as a substitute. Gai Lan is available in most Asian markets in North America. For details see our Gai Lan / Chinese Broccoli page.

  3. Daikon Radish:

      Moderate sized Daikons are preferred, as large ones can be fibrous.

  4. Cucumbers:

      If at all possible, select Persian, Japanese or some other narrow cucumber that doesn't have to be peeled and/or seeded. An absolutely indispensable ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine. For details see our Cucumbers page.

  5. Bitter Melon:

      Select dark green ones of the Chinese style, not the warty Indian style. Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the seed mass and cut diagonally so the slices will be longer than if cut straight across. If desired, you can sprinkle them with salt to reduce bitterness (slightly), but rinse and drain before serving. For details see our Bitter Melons page.

  6. Pickled Mustard Greens:

      Asian markets in North America have a large selection of this popular item, usually in vacuum pack plastic bags. Select a stemmier version so it can be cut nicely into sticks. For details see our Asian Preserved Mustard Greens page.

  7. Chili Garlic Sauce:

      We strongly recommend our recipe for Chili Garlic Sauce which, made with the common Japones chilis is very flavorful but not too hot for most people. Many Burmese dips are very pungent.

  8. Celery Sticks:

      These can be either Chinese Celery of European Celery. The Chinese is narrower, leafier and has a stronger celery flavor.
  9. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch tt=to taste ar=as required
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