The tranquil waters of Indawgyi, Myanmar’s largest freshwater lake, and the wetlands surrounding it are a haven for globally threatened waterbirds and boasts endemic fish and turtle species.
Villages here rely on the lake for food and work, but despite its great natural beauty Indawgyi has yet to develop the tourism industry that would support many local jobs. Fears over fighting between the army and the Kachin insurgents have cast a shadow over the region, which is also close to Hpakant, the jade mining town where landslides are common, heroin is epidemic and access by foreigners and journalists are heavily restricted.
Inn Chit Thu, a nonprofit ecotourism project supported by Flora and Fauna International hope to boost tourism while promoting environmental conservation.
This simple but delicious fish curry cooked in Kachin style on the banks of the lake is courtesy of Su Hla Phyu, a founding member of Inn Chit Thu, whose extended family has been involved in welcoming and hosting foreign and local guests for almost two decades.
A quick curry, with little oil and loads of flavour, this can be cooked with any type of fish, meat or vegetables.
Ingredients:
ငါး Any type of fish
ကြက်သွန်နီ Shallots
ကြက်သွန်ဖြူ Garlic
ဂျင်း Ginger
ငါးပိ Fermented fish paste
မက်လင်သီးခြောက် Dried baobab fruit
ဖက်ဖယ်ရွက် Praew leaf or Vietnamese coriander
ပင်စိန်းရွက် Basil
ကြက်သွန်မိတ် Spring onion
ပဲဆီ Peanut Oil
ဆနွင်း Pinch of turmeric
ငရုတ်သီးစိမ်း Fresh chilies
ဆား Salt
Method:
Marinate the fish in salt, stock and curry powder for at least an hour to bring out the flavour. Pound some fresh chillies, ginger, garlic and shallots together. Place the fish, the pounded mix, dried baobab fruit and fermented fish paste in a wok above the heat and mix them well together. Add a pinch of turmeric and just a little bit of oil. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for five to 10 minutes. Pour water till most fish pieces are submerged. Stir before putting the lid back on. Roughly chop the basil, praew leaf, spring onion and pour them into the wok. Wait a few minutes for it to boil and check the taste before serving.
