Mont Lin Ma Yar

Ingredients

Batter

• 300 grice flour
• 50 gglutinous rice flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspturmeric
• 550 mlwater, approximately

Fillings

• 40quail eggs
• 150 gcooked chickpeas
• 4spring onions, sliced
• 1onion, finely chopped
• a handful of coriander, chopped

For cooking

• vegetable oil, for the hollows

To serve

• a sweet and sour chilli sauce
• tamarind sauce

Equipment

• a dimpled cast-iron pan with a lid

Directions

1. Whisk both flours with the salt and turmeric in a bowl. Add the water gradually while whisking. Whisk until it is completely smooth with no lumps. It should be the consistency of single cream. Strain it through a sieve to catch any lumps. Cover the batter and let it stand for an hour. Whisk it again before using, since it settles heavily.
2. Check the consistency again and loosen it with water if needed. Preparing the fillings is done before you start cooking. Crack the quail eggs into a small bowl one at a time. Check each one before adding it to the rest.
3. Set the dimpled pan over a medium heat. Let it heat for a full five minutes. Brush each hollow generously with oil. A dry hollow means the puff sticks and tears.
4. Pour batter into each hollow to about two thirds full. Let it cook for about a minute. Adding the filling is done quickly. Drop a quail egg into half of the hollows. Spoon chickpeas and chopped onion into the other half.
5. Scatter spring onion and coriander over all of them. Work fast, since the batter is setting as you go. Put the lid on the pan straight away. Cook them for three or four minutes. The egg should just set and the batter should look dry on top.
6. Lift an edge with a skewer to look underneath. It should be golden and should release from the pan. Lift out one egg half and one chickpea half.
7. Press the two flat faces together firmly. They should stick, which is what the glutinous flour is for. Set the joined pairs on a plate as you go. Cooking the rest is done in batches. Serve them with a sweet and sour chilli sauce for dipping. They go soft within twenty minutes and are made to order.

Technique

• The glutinous rice flour is what makes the two halves stick together.
• Oil every hollow before each batch, since a dry hollow tears the puff.
• Press the two flat faces together while both are still hot.

Substitutions

• An aebleskiver or takoyaki pan in place of the Burmese one.
• Hen’s eggs, beaten and spooned in, if quail eggs are unavailable.

Variations

• With two egg halves joined together.
• With sweetcorn in place of chickpeas.
• Made larger, in a takoyaki pan.

History

‘Husband and wife snack’, batter halves cooked in a dimpled pan with quail egg and chickpea, then joined together in pairs.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mont Lin Ma Yar?

Mont Lin Ma Yar is a street food from Myanmar: griddled quail-egg rice puffs joined in pairs, ‘husband-and-wife snack’. ‘Husband and wife snack’, batter halves cooked in a dimpled pan with quail egg and chickpea, then joined together in pairs.

How long does Mont Lin Ma Yar take to make?

Mont Lin Ma Yar takes 30 min plus 1 hour resting of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 20 pairs. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Mont Lin Ma Yar?

Yes, within limits. An aebleskiver or takoyaki pan in place of the Burmese one. Hen’s eggs, beaten and spooned in, if quail eggs are unavailable.