The Story
A simple Rakhine-style Myanmar dish made with crispy anchovies, fresh herbs, and nga pi, bringing together bold, salty, and tangy flavors in every bite.
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 30 g of dried anchovies under cold water to clean them.
- 2
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the cleaned anchovies.
- 3
Pan-fry the anchovies, adding a little water at a time until they become crispy, which should take about 5-7 minutes.
- 4
While the anchovies are frying, cut 3 Thai eggplants into bite-sized pieces if using.
- 5
Crush 2 garlic cloves and combine them with nga pi (fish paste) or ready-made nga pi thaung in a small bowl.
- 6
Chop some cilantro and set it aside for later.
- 7
In a large mixing bowl, combine the crispy anchovies, cut eggplant, chopped cilantro, 1/2 tablespoon of MSG, and a pinch of salt.
- 8
Add the crushed garlic and nga pi mixture to the bowl.
- 9
Squeeze the juice of 2 slices of lime or lemon into the bowl.
- 10
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly until well combined.
- 11
Serve the mixture immediately as a flavorful side dish or topping.