Burma Basics

If you have a few pantry basics on hand, almost all the recipes in this book will be very easy, even the first time you make them. To get comfortable with Burmese food, start by going shopping. Most of the ingredients will be familiar: you can find all of them in Southeast Asian groceries and most in large supermarkets too.

The pantry list is not long. There are bottled or preserved ingredients—peanut oil, dried red chiles, turmeric powder, dried shrimp, fish sauce, shrimp paste, and tamarind pulp—and long-keeping perishables such as limes, shallots, garlic, and ginger.