Mohinga is a popular fish curry soup in Burma/Myanmar, made with fish cubes, rice flour, spices, and optional toppings. Recipes vary by region, but typically include onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and black pepper. It is often served over noodles and reheated for breakfast.
Mohinga is a dish served throughout the country of Burma, also known as Myanmar. It is a type of fish curry which contains many spices and ingredients such as fish cubes, lemon grass, rice flour, garlic, onions, banana stems and black pepper. The dish is made to look like a very liquid soup, although the taste of the finished sauce is very rich. Mohinga is often eaten as a breakfast food, although it is also served throughout the day and is usually spread over noodles and presented with a number of optional toppings. The popularity of mohinga throughout Burma has led to a great deal of variation in the current recipe from one region to another.
A basic recipe for mohinga begins by rolling cubes of raw fish, usually a type of white fish such as catfish, in a salt and turmeric mixture. Next, the ingredients for the curry are prepared. Most recipes include onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and black pepper. Other ingredients may include lotus root, paprika, fish sauce and coriander. The fish and all the spices are cooked in oil in a large heavy skillet until the mixture becomes aromatic and the fish is cooked through.
Rice powder or yellow split pea powder, which is easily made by toasting rice or dried peas until golden brown and then grinding it into a powder, is added to the pan. Whole split peas can also be added at this point if desired. A good amount of water – the liquid that will become mohinga soup – is poured into the pot. At this point all the other ingredients, such as the banana stem, fish sauce or hot pepper, are also placed in the pot and left to cook.
In some recipes, the mohinga is cooked for as little as 20-30 minutes. When traditionally prepared as street food, the soup is made the night before it’s served and reheated in the morning, giving it several hours to rest and develop flavors. The liquid in the pot will reduce slightly as it cooks, but should remain fairly loose, more like a soup than a stew, although this is left to the individual chef’s taste.
When served, mohinga is usually poured over thin noodles or rice noodles. Many types of toppings and condiments are made available to place on top of the soup. These toppings can include boiled duck eggs, crispy fried fish, fried garlic, bamboo shoots, cilantro and lime, to name a few.
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