Mohinga (Fish Noodle Soup)

Myanmar | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 45 min | Total: 1 hr 15 min | Serves: 6

About Mohinga

Mohinga is Myanmar's national dish, eaten for breakfast across the country from steaming street carts. The broth is a deeply savoury, lemongrass-perfumed catfish base thickened with toasted chickpea flour and rice flour — an unusual technique that gives it a silky, almost bisque-like body. Poured over thin rice noodles and topped with crispy split-pea fritters, boiled eggs, and shredded banana stem, mohinga is one of Southeast Asia's most complex and nourishing breakfast dishes.

Ingredients

For the fish broth:

• 600g catfish or tilapia fillets

• 1.5 litres water

• 2 stalks lemongrass bruised, 3 cm piece galangal/ginger sliced

• 1 tsp turmeric, salt to taste

For the base paste:

• 6 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 2 stalks lemongrass (white part)

• 1 tsp shrimp paste, 3 tbsp fish sauce

• 3 tbsp neutral oil

Thickeners:

• 3 tbsp chickpea flour (besan), toasted in dry pan

• 2 tbsp rice flour

For serving:

• 400g dried thin round rice noodles, cooked

• 4 eggs hard-boiled and sliced

• 100g banana stem or banana blossom (canned is fine)

• Crispy fritters, fried shallots, fresh cilantro, lime wedges

Directions

1. Poach the Fish: Simmer fish in water with lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and salt for 10 minutes. Remove fish, flake into large pieces, and reserve the poaching broth.

2. Make the Paste: Blend shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and shrimp paste into a rough paste.

3. Fry the Paste: Heat oil in a large, heavy pot. Fry the paste for 5–6 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

4. Thicken the Broth: Strain reserved fish broth into the fried paste. Whisk toasted chickpea flour and rice flour with 100ml cold water, then pour into the broth while stirring. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. The broth will thicken noticeably.

5. Season and Add Fish: Add fish sauce. Season with salt. Gently fold the reserved flaked fish back into the broth.

6. Assemble: Place cooked rice noodles in deep bowls. Ladle hot broth generously over. Top with sliced hard-boiled egg, shredded banana stem, a crispy fritter, fried shallots, and cilantro. Serve with lime.

Cooking Tips

• Toasting the Flour: Toast chickpea flour in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes before adding. This removes raw flavour and adds a subtle nuttiness — do not skip this step.

• Banana Stem: Canned banana blossom is a widely available substitute for fresh banana stem.

• Catfish: Catfish gives mohinga its distinctive, slightly earthy depth. Tilapia or another firm-fleshed white fish is a good substitute.

Nutrition Facts (per serving, based on 6 servings)

• Calories: ~390 kcal

• Total Fat: 10g

• Saturated Fat: 2g

• Cholesterol: 130mg

• Sodium: 920mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 52g

• Dietary Fiber: 3g

• Sugars: 3g

• Protein: 26g