This Burmese-style Bean Thread Noodle Salad is spicy and delicious, full of tasty crispy pork, shrimp, fresh cilantro, chili peppers and lime juice.
This salad recipe is a family favorite that my Burmese friend, Ma Toe, taught me many, many years ago, back when we were neighbors in a small oilfield town in Brazil. I loved our diverse expat community and learned recipes from all over the world from friends there.
Aside from how tasty it is, the best thing about this salad is that it can be made a day or two ahead of time. It travels well and keeps for several days in the fridge. I tend to make a big batch even if it’s just my husband and me at home because we can eat this every day till it’s gone and never tire of it! I hope you like it as much as we do!
Burmese-style Bean Thread Noodle Salad
Mung bean thread noodles are available in Asian markets and many regular supermarkets as well these days. They are also called simply bean thread noodles or glass noodles but do not mistake them for rice noodles!
Ingredients
1/4 cup or 20g dried shrimp (or 2 tablespoons dried shrimp powder)
8 oz or 227g ground pork (or sub turkey or chicken)
Fine sea salt
6 oz or 170g raw shrimp, weight already peeled (about 1 dozen medium)
8 oz or 227g mung bean thread noodles
Chopped hot fresh bird’s eye chili peppers to taste (I use 3-4 but we like things spicy.)
1 large purple onion, very finely sliced
1/4 cup or 60ml fresh lime juice
1/4 cup or 60ml fish sauce
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 big bunch of coarsely chopped coriander leaves (You can use the soft stems too, but they must be chopped very fine.)
Method
Pound the dried shrimp, if using, in a mortar to flatten them into a fluffy powder. Set aside.
Lightly salt the pork and pan-fry it, separating it into crispy crumbles as it fries. If your pork is very lean, you might need a drizzle of oil to get it to get brown and crispy. Remove from the pan to cool and drain the fat off.
Shell, devein and chop the shrimp into two or three pieces. Lightly salt them and cook them in the pork pan till just pink.
Soak the mung bean thread noodles in hot water for 10 minutes, until soft.
Drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.
Cut the noodles up with a pair of scissors a few times. This will make it easier to stir the other ingredients in.
Put the sliced onions and chopped chili peppers in a bowl with the lime juice and set aside for a few minutes. The lime juice helps soften the bite of both the peppers and the raw onion. Add in the fish sauce and sugar to complete the dressing.
Put the drained noodles in a really big bowl, one big enough that you can stir without creating a big mess. Add in the chopped coriander and sprinkle with the shrimp powder. Mix thoroughly, using your clean hands, if that’s easier.
Add the ingredients of the onion bowl and mix well.
Finally add the shrimp and pork and mix again.
Taste and add more lime juice or fish sauce if necessary. Cover the bowl with cling film and keep chilled until ready to serve.
We usually just eat this salad in small bowls with a fork, but it’s also excellent spooned into small lettuce leaves as a finger food, perfect for a party. You can put extra fish sauce and lime wedges out in case anyone would like to add more to their salad.
Enjoy!
It’s Sunday FunDay and I’m hosting. Today just happens to be my birthday so I thought it would be fun to get all of my fellow bloggers to share recipes they’d bring to a birthday party potluck. Check out all the delicious dishes (and one drink!) I so wish I could actually enjoy in real life today!
- Bhagar Rice from The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen
- Borage Sparklers, Both Boozy and Not from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Burmese-style Bean Thread Noodle Salad from Food Lust People Love
- Cheeseburger Sliders with Homemade Slider Buns from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Eggless Gajar Halwa Cake - Carrot Halwa Cake from Sneha’s Recipe
- Four Cheese Ravioli Skillet from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- French Macarons from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Greek Feta Spread (Kopanisti) from Palatable Pastime
- Maple Panna Cotta With Roasted Figs from Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese from Making Miracles
- Tandoori Aloo Platter from Sizzling Tastebuds
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.
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