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Mont lin ma yar
Rice batter cups with quail egg
Mont lin ma yar (မုန့်လင်မယား): 'husband and wife' rice-batter cups with quail egg and chickpeas, joined in pairs
Evening street vendors in Yangon and Mandalay cook these over charcoal in heavy iron pans dotted with round hollows, and the name, 'husband and wife snack', comes from the way two little cups are pressed together into one ball at the end. A thin, lightly salted rice batter crisps against the hot iron while the middle stays soft and custardy, and each cup holds a filling: a quail egg cracked into one half, boiled chickpeas and spring onion in the other. People buy them hot by the half dozen and eat them straight from the paper, sometimes with a little chilli sauce. A pan that isn't hot or well oiled is the classic problem, as the batter sticks and tears when you try to lift it. Chef's tip: a takoyaki, aebleskiver or paniyaram pan works perfectly at home.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 7 oz rice flour
- 1 ¾ oz cooked rice
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powdergluten-free if needed
For cooking and filling
- 4 tbsp vegetable oilfor the pan
- 12 quail eggs
- 5 ½ oz cooked chickpeasdrained
- 3 spring onionsfinely sliced
To serve
- 4 tbsp chilli sauce (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Blend 7 oz rice flour, 1 ¾ oz cooked rice, 1 ¾ cups water and 1 tsp salt until perfectly smooth, about 1 minute. The cooked rice gives the cups a soft, slightly chewy middle. Rest for 15 minutes, then whisk in ½ tsp baking powder.
15 minStep 2: Set a takoyaki or aebleskiver pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until very hot. Brush every hollow generously with 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
4 minStep 3: Stir the batter, then pour it into each hollow until about three-quarters full. It should sizzle at once around the edges.
Step 4: Crack a quail egg from the 12 quail eggs into half of the cups. Spoon a few 5 ½ oz cooked chickpeas and a pinch of 3 spring onions into the other half.
Step 5: Cover with a lid or foil and cook for 5–6 minutes, until the edges are golden and crisp, the tops are set and the egg whites are fully white and firm.
6 minStep 6: Loosen each cup with a skewer and lift it out. Press an egg cup and a chickpea cup together, open faces inward, to make one 'husband and wife' ball.
Step 7: Brush the hollows with more of the 2 tbsp vegetable oil and repeat with the rest of the batter and fillings, whisking the batter each time.
18 minStep 8: Serve hot, with 4 tbsp chilli sauce on the side if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mont lin ma yar take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cooked rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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