Shan Noodles (Burmese Flat Rice Noodles with Turmeric Meat Sauce)

Quick answer

Total time: 40 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Shan noodles are the everyday noodle of Myanmar's Shan State, found at nearly every market stall and tea shop in the region.

Thin, flat rice noodles are topped with a sauce of minced chicken or pork cooked with turmeric, tomato, and a touch of chili. The dish is finished with a generous pour of fried garlic oil - golden-brown garlic chips sizzling in their own rendered fat - which gives the bowl its signature aroma. Pickled mustard greens add a sour crunch on the side, and toasted chickpea flour is sprinkled over for a nutty, grainy texture. The noodles come in two styles: a dry version tossed with the sauce, and a soup version swimming in a light broth. Both are eaten with a spoon and fork rather than chopsticks, in keeping with Burmese custom.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

rice noodles220 gg

ground chicken220 gg

onion½ eaea

minced garlic1 tbsptbsp

chili flakes1 tsptsp

soy sauce1½ tbsptbsp

fish sauce1 tbsptbsp

cooking oil2 tbsptbsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Heat

Cook 220 g rice noodles about 30 seconds less than the package timing.

Rinse briefly under cold water, then drain in a sieve for about 3 minutes so the noodles stay separate.
2

Heat

If the noodles start sticking, toss them first with 1 teaspoon of the cooking oil.

Keep them in a bowl while you prepare the topping, instead of leaving them packed in the sieve.
3

Control

Add the remaining cooking oil to a pan and heat it over medium heat.

Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1/2 onion, then stir-fry for about 2 minutes until the onion looks translucent.
4

Control

Add 220 g ground chicken and break it into small pieces with a spatula.

Cook for about 4 minutes, until no pink remains and the moisture in the pan has reduced.
5

Season

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon chili flakes.

Lower the heat and stir-fry for 1 minute so the salty and spicy seasoning coats the chicken evenly.
6

Season

Divide the noodles among bowls and spoon the chicken sauce over them.

Warm the oil left in the pan briefly, drizzle it over the top for aroma, and toss the noodles just before eating.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Cook noodles 30 seconds short, rinse cold, and drain thoroughly
Finish cue: Lower the heat and stir-fry for 1 minute so the salty and spicy seasoning coats the chicken evenly.