Myanmar's beloved national breakfast — catfish and lemongrass broth with rice noodles, crispy fritters, and a soft-boiled egg.
Mohinga is Myanmar's most beloved dish and unofficial national food, served at breakfast from roadside stalls across the country. It is a rich, golden broth made from catfish simmered with lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and roasted chickpea flour (which thickens the soup and adds a nutty depth). Thin rice noodles are served in the broth and topped with crispy split-pea fritters (pe kyaw), a halved soft-boiled egg, fresh coriander, crispy fried garlic, and a squeeze of lime. The combination of textures — slippery noodles, crispy fritters, silky broth — makes mohinga an experience unlike any other soup in Southeast Asia.
Serves 4
Simmer fish with lemongrass, ginger, 2 shallots, and water for 12–15 minutes until cooked. Remove fish and flake into large pieces, discarding any bones. Reserve the poaching liquid.
Fry remaining shallots and garlic in oil until golden. Add turmeric and paprika, stir 1 minute. Add toasted chickpea flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes until fragrant and nutty.
Pour reserved fish stock into the shallot mixture, straining out solids. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add fish sauce and taste for seasoning.
The chickpea flour thickens the broth slowly — let it simmer 10 minutes for the right consistency.
Return flaked fish to the pot. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Do not boil vigorously or the fish will break up too much.
Soak rice noodles in hot water until tender; drain. Divide noodles into bowls, ladle hot broth and fish over. Top with halved egg, coriander, fried garlic, and a squeeze of lime.
Roasted chickpea flour is key — toast gram flour in a dry pan until golden and nutty before using.
The broth should be slightly thick, not watery — adjust chickpea flour to achieve this.
Pe kyaw (crispy split pea fritters) make an authentic garnish — find them at Asian grocery stores.
Use prawns or canned tuna for convenience.
Add banana stem (pith of banana plant), a traditional Burmese ingredient.
Make vegetarian with vegetable stock and smoked tofu.
Store broth and noodles separately. Broth keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat gently.
Mohinga has been served in Myanmar (Burma) for centuries and is mentioned in 19th-century accounts of Burmese daily life. It is eaten for breakfast by people of all backgrounds, from street vendors to hotel restaurants, making it one of the most democratic foods in Asia. Its name may derive from the Mon word for the dish, reflecting the Mon people's historical influence on Burmese cuisine.
Plain flour will thicken the soup but lacks the nutty, earthy flavour that makes mohinga distinctive. If you can't find chickpea flour, lightly toast regular flour or use cornstarch as a thickener.
Catfish is traditional but any firm, non-oily white fish works well — snapper, barramundi, tilapia, or even canned mackerel in a pinch.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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