In a blender (we use a handheld chopper), roughly chop 1 large onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp (about ½ inch penny slice) fresh ginger, and 8 Thai chili peppers (or 3 medium Korean hot peppers), and set aside. Marinate 2 lbs of chicken (here, skinned chicken thighs cut into large chunks) in 2 Tbsp fish sauce (we reduce to 1 Tbsp), 1 tsp turmeric, and ¾ tsp paprika for 15 mins. Heat a Tbsp neutral oil in a large Dutch oven, then saute the chopped aromatics until fragrant. Add marinated chicken and saute until partially cooked. Add 2×1″ wedges of 2 small (or 1 medium) peeled bottle gourds and saute for a few minutes. Add 2 ½ cups water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until squash is tender (approx. 30 mins). Season to taste with salt as needed (we added ¼ tsp). Serve with jasmine rice. This recipe is from Flavors of Burma by Susan Chan. (Dec. 2014)
Variation: In lieu of bottle gourd, you can substitute 3 medium-large chayotes, peeled and cut into 6 vertical wedges (each chayote cut vertically in half, then cut into three 3×2″ pieces). Chayote emits an astringent sap, so I recommend peeling under running water before slicing the flesh. (June 2019).
Cooking Adventures 