Shan noodles is a traditional Burmese dish consisting of thin rice noodles, meat and a tomato sauce served with toppings. It is eaten as a main meal or snack in small portions.
The meats used are chicken and pork with chicken being most common. The noodles can be served dry or wet. The wet version consists of all the components of the dry version, but it is served in a light broth. Typical toppings are peanuts, chillis, pickled veggies and green onions. Due to the numerous toppings and condiments, dry shan noodles are referred to as noodle salad.
Shan noodle dishes vary by region and because Myanmar borders China, Thailand and Laos, each country has their own Shan noodle variation however the general flavor profiles are tomato, curry, soy or garlic.
Origin & Cultural Significance
Shan noodles originated from the Shan state where the second largest ethnic group of Myanmar lives. While we know what area Shan noodles come from, the origin story is not really known. Shan state is probably best recognized for its floating gardens, where tomatoes can be grown year round and are a staple in Shan cuisine.
Burmese Shan Noodles Recipe
Shan noodles are a traditional dish from the country Myanmar, also known as Burma. The dish consists of thin rice noodles, meat and tomato sauce served with toppings.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast - 12 oz.
- Dry rice Noodles - 7 oz.
- Tomatoes - 2
- Shallots - 2
- Garlic cloves - 4
- Chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Light soy sauce - 2 tsp
- Dark soy sauce - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Chinese five spice - ¼ tsp
- Water - ½ cup
- Spring Onions - 3
- Sweet soy sauce - 4 tbsp
- Crushed Roasted Peanuts - to garnish
Garlic oil
- Garlic – 12 cloves
- Olive oil - ½ cup
- Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Chilli Oil
- Chilli flakes - 2 tbsp
- Olive oil - ½ cup
Pickle
- Carrot - 1
- Green Chilli -3
- Salt - ½ tsp
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- White vinegar - 1 tbsp
- Water - 1 tbsp
Instructions
Garlic oil
- Heat the oil to medium heat and add chopped garlic.
- Stir until the garlic turns slightly brown then add the sesame seeds and stir for few seconds.
- Put in a small bowl and set aside.
Chilli Oil
- Place the chilli flakes into a small bowl.
- Heat the oil to medium high heat, pour into to chilli flakes and mix well.
- Set aside
Pickle
- Julienne the carrot and cut the green chilli into thin slices.
- Put them in a bowl, add salt, sugar, vinegar and water.
- Mix well and set aside.
- Cut the chicken into small pieces.
- Finely chop tomato, garlic and shallots.
- Heat oil, add garlic and shallots, saute for few minutes until the color slightly browns.
- Add the chilli powder followed by the chicken pieces.
- Stir for 1-2 minutes then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook them until the tomatoes are soft.
- Then add salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and chinese five spices.
- Add ½ cup of water, mix well and close the lid for 1-2 mins. ( Add more water as needed if the sauce is too thick). Set aside.
- Boil rice noodles per packet instructions, drain it.
- For serving, add one portion of noodle into the bowl, 2 tbsp of chicken tomato curry, 1 tbsp garlic oil, 1 tsp chilli oil, peanuts, pickle, spring onions and 1 tsp sweet soy sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 935Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 49gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 2026mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 6gSugar: 16gProtein: 34g
Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.