The Story
A traditional Chin State dish from the cold highlands of Myanmar, this hearty chicken soup is slow-cooked and served with fresh vegetables and aromatic sides. Warm, nourishing, and deeply comforting, it’s a true mountain-style meal made to keep the body strong in cold weather.
Instructions
- 1
Clean the whole chicken and place it in a 5-liter pot.
- 2
Add 5 slices of ginger and 5 crushed garlic cloves to the pot.
- 3
Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of salt.
- 4
Cook the chicken over medium heat for 50 minutes, adding water as needed to keep the chicken submerged.
- 5
Meanwhile, prepare the side dish by crushing 6 to 7 green chilies, 3 garlic cloves, a few cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon of salt, and MSG together.
- 6
Finish the side dish with lime juice and adjust the taste to your preference.
- 7
For the garlic oil, heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat.
- 8
Once hot, add 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric powder and 2 crushed garlic cloves to the oil.
- 9
Roast the perilla seeds with a pinch of salt in a dry pan until fragrant, then blend them into a fine powder.
- 10
Clean and cut the Chinese long beans, chayotes, bok choy, and celery into appropriate sizes.
- 11
After the chicken has cooked for 50 minutes, add the chayote to the pot and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes.
- 12
Next, add the Chinese long beans and cook until tender, then remove all the cooked vegetables from the pot.
- 13
Finally, add the bok choy to the pot and cook for 1 minute before removing it as well.
- 14
Check the chicken for doneness; it should be soft to your preference, then remove it from the pot and let it cool down.
- 15
Once cooled, shred the chicken into large pieces, season with salt, and garnish with the prepared garlic oil.
- 16
Combine half of the cooked vegetables and a few pieces of shredded chicken with the roasted perilla seed powder and serve.