Balachaung

Ingredients

Relish

• 150 gdried shrimp
• 20 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
• 6shallots, thinly sliced
• 300 mlpeanut or vegetable oil
• 2 tbspchilli powder or dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tspshrimp paste (ngapi), optional
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tbsptamarind paste

Directions

1. Grind the dried shrimp in a food processor to a coarse fluffy floss. Do not reduce it to powder — you want strands that stay crisp.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry the sliced garlic until pale gold, then lift it out with a slotted spoon the moment it turns colour. It carries on cooking in its own heat and burnt garlic ruins the whole batch.
3. Fry the shallots in the same oil until deep golden and crisp, about 8 minutes, and lift them out too.
4. Turn the heat to low and add the ground shrimp to the flavoured oil. Fry it slowly, stirring almost constantly, for 12–15 minutes until it is dry, crisp and a deep rust colour. This slow frying is the entire technique and cannot be rushed.
5. Stir in the chilli powder, shrimp paste, salt and sugar and fry 2 minutes more.
6. Take off the heat, then stir in the fish sauce and tamarind — added off the heat so they do not spit and steam the crispness away.
7. Return the fried garlic and shallots and fold through. Cool completely before jarring; it crisps further as it cools.
8. Store in a sealed jar with a layer of the frying oil on top. It keeps a month at room temperature and longer refrigerated. Eaten by the spoonful with plain rice.

Technique

• Everything is fried separately and combined at the end. Fried together, the garlic burns long before the shrimp dries.
• The oil is part of the condiment, not just a medium. Do not drain it all off.
• It should rattle in the jar when shaken. Anything soft or clumping means the shrimp was not fried dry enough.

Substitutions

• Dried shrimp vary a great deal in saltiness; taste before adding the full teaspoon of salt.
• Leave out the ngapi for a milder relish.

Variations

• A version with fried peanuts folded in at the end.
• Balachaung kyaw with more chilli and less shrimp, closer to a chilli oil.

History

Dried shrimp fried with garlic, chilli and ngapi and kept in jars for months; a travel food and standard relish with plain rice.

Frequently asked questions

What is Balachaung?

Balachaung is a sauce & condiment from Myanmar: crispy fried dried-shrimp, garlic and chili relish for rice. Dried shrimp fried with garlic, chilli and ngapi and kept in jars for months; a travel food and standard relish with plain rice.

How long does Balachaung take to make?

Balachaung takes 25 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 400 g. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Balachaung?

Yes, within limits. Dried shrimp vary a great deal in saltiness; taste before adding the full teaspoon of salt. Leave out the ngapi for a milder relish.

What is the most important thing to get right in Balachaung?

Grind the dried shrimp in a food processor to a coarse fluffy floss. Do not reduce it to powder — you want strands that stay crisp.