Myanmar – Hto-hpu Nwe

by Fauzan Anandika

Myanmar, one of the countries in Southeast Asia, has become a tourist destination for a long time. Attracting with its beautiful view, Myanmar is also known as a thousand pagoda country. Here tourists can visit many spots with a beautiful pagoda that was built many years ago. Traveling will be incomplete if we cannot taste the authentic food in that place. Myanmar has many kinds of culinary that tourists must try. As a tourist, you may love to taste Hto-hpu Nwe, a culinary made from chickpea flour.

Hto-hpu Nwe has a texture similar to porridge, smooth, sweet, and warm will. According to the local language, Hto-hpu Nwe means warm tofu even its not contain any tofu yet. This culinary has cultural engagement with the Shan tribe in North Myanmar. To serve Hto-hpu Nwe, topped it with shredded and marinated chicken or pork, seasoned with chili oil, light curry, and pickled crating savory taste. Add some vermicelli to make it a complete dish.

For a vegan, you can remove the meat. The dish is gluten-free. It also has low calories but can keep you from hungry for hours. Hto-hpu Nwe also contains high fiber to make your alimentary canal healthier. Local people eat this in the morning as breakfast before starting daily work.

Hungry for a taste of Myanmar? Let’s try to cook some Hto-hpu Nwe from our kitchen. 

Chickpea flour ingredient

• 500 grams of dried chickpea

Porridge Ingredient

• 500 ml of water
• 15 ml of peanut oil
• 10 grams of salt
• 20-gram turmeric powder

Topping ingredient

• 200-gram cilantro, chopped
• 100 grams roasted peanut, crushed
• 3 shallot, finely sliced

Hot sauce ingredient

• 5 cayenne pepper
• 3 red chili
• 10 grams pepper
• 3 shallot, finely sliced
• 2 clove garlic, crush and minced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 50 ml of water
• Salt 
• Sugar 
• 1 pack vermicelli

How to make chickpeas flour

Grind 500 gram dried chickpeas until becoming flour.

Hot Sauce preparation

1. Blend cayenne pepper, red pepper, garlic, shallot, and pepper with a food processor.
2. Prepare the frying pan, heat it, and pour cooking oil.
3. Add the mixture and stir until the fragrance smells
4. Add water and vermicelli, wait until boiling.
5. Turn the heat off.

How to cook Hto-hpu Nwe

1. Pour the water into a big bowl, add chickpeas flour and mix it with hand until blended. 
2. Cover it with a sheet or plate and ferment overnight for at least 12 hours.
3. Prepare a clean cloth and another bowl.
4. Squeeze the fermented mixture with a hand, and place the broth in another bowl. Do it several times.
5. Remove the chickpeas sediment. Ferment the broth for 3 hours.
6. Pour the oil into a big pot, rub it all over the surface. 
7. Pour all the chickpeas broth with turmeric and salt. Stir slowly.
8. Boil the mixture with high heat. Reduce the heat after boiling.
9. Keep stirring with a spatula to prevent the mixture stick to the boiling pot.
10. Keep boiling until the mixture thickened.
11. Remove the pot from heat.
12. Serve the soup while still hot, add topping and chili sauce.
13. Happy eating.