Cuisine Tip: Mohingar Recipe – Myanmar
Discover the world’s cuisine through the best kept recipes. Today we wish to give you the secrets to succeed a typical Burmese dish: the Mohingar.
What is Mohingar?
Fish noodle soup is one of the most traditional dishes in Myanmar. It is an original blend of ingredients that contribute harmoniously to the making of this delicious dish. It’s a mix of rice noodles that has become the most popular snack here in Myanmar served at most social or religious gatherings.
It is the most popular of dishes, now considered the all-day meal in many villages and towns of the country. The Mohingar is also served with a mix of all kinds of toppings, however nowadays ready-to-use packets of powder are sold to make the broth.
Street vendors, walking around neighborhoods where they have regular customers, are the main sellers of this popular dish. They carry a cauldron of soup on a frying pan hung on one side of a pole that they carry on their shoulder and rice vermicelli and other ingredients with bowls and spoons on the other. It is also possible to taste this typical dish all day, in restaurants, tea houses or other street vendor.
Mohingar is a mixture of the main ingredients: fish, fish paste, pea powder and banana kernel. Also contains several spices namely garlic, onion, ginger, pepper, turmeric powder and lemongrass. Served with boiled eggs, fried squash, peas, onion donuts and homemade fish cakes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of peanut oil
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 1 stem of lemongrass, only white part, finely sliced
- 2 cm slice of ginger, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp. shrimp paste
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
- 3 tablespoons cooked and crushed chickpeas
- 85 g of grilled rice powder
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 Asian shallots, peeled
- 2 boiled eggs, sliced
- 100 g of boiled banana (alternatively, use the banana flower)
- 600 g cooked vermicelli
- 4 sprigs of coriander, to garnish
- 4 snake beans, finely sliced
- Pinch of dried chili flakes
For the broth:
- 1 whole catfish, cleaned
- 1 stem of lemongrass,
- 2 crushed garlic gloves
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 2 liters of cold water
For the Chili paste:
- 3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, finely sliced
- 4 whole dried peppers
- 4 Asian red shallots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 cm ginger, finely sliced
Preparation:
To make the broth, add the catfish, lemongrass, garlic, turmeric and water to a large saucepan or pot. Bring to the boil over high heat and skim the impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Filter the broth and remove the fish flesh from the bones. Set aside and reserve the broth.
Meanwhile, make the paste, in a mortar and pestle, crush the lemongrass, peppers, red shallots, garlic and ginger in a nice paste.
Keep aside.
Heat the peanut oil in a saucepan over low and medium heat and add the turmeric. Then add the chili paste. Add the red onion, lemongrass, ginger and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the flaked fish and coat it in the paste. Fry over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp paste and paprika. Continue to cook over low heat for another 5 minutes to infuse the flavors.
Return the broth to the pot, place over medium heat. Add crushed chickpeas, rice powder, fish sauce and flaked fish mixture. Season with salt and black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the shallots and the boiled egg. Add the banana.
Divide the vermicelli noodles between 4 bowls. Pour the broth over the noodles. Garnish with coriander, beans and chili flakes to serve.