Boothee Jaw (Myanmar)

World-Bites (38) / Boothee Jaw


Burmese people adore fried snacks (a-jaw zohn) at any time of the day, whether at a pavement stall with a sour chilli dip on the side and a cup of green tea or at home as a side dish in a main meal. Gourd fritters (boothee jaw), tofu fritters (topu jaw) and bean fritters (baya jaw) are the two best-known snacks that originate in Myanmar. It is a tradition to offer these snacks to visitors who come to a Burmese house. Crispy gourd or onion fritters are essential garnishes for Traditional fish noodle soup. These dishes, as most of the Burmese dishes, are served on the floor, at a lower table.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons ground rice flour
4 tablespoons self-raising flour
1 tablespoon sticky/glutinous rice flour
1 tablespoon chickpea flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
75ml ice cold water
Oil for deep frying
200g bitter gourd, sliced into 1cm thick strips

Method

Put all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the oil. Stirring continuously, add the cold water a little at a time until incorporated. Leave the batter in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables for frying.

A deep-fat fryer is ideal but if you don’t have one, heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan (never fill the pan more than halfway). When the oil is hot, dip the gourd in the batter just before you drop it into the oil.

Deep fry in batches for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally. Drain on kitchen paper and serve while still warm.