Myanmar Mohinga
A fragrant fish broth thickened lightly with toasted rice flour and poured over rice noodles, then sharpened with lime, herbs and crisp toppings.
About this dish
Mohinga is widely regarded as Myanmar’s national dish: rice noodles in a savory fish broth scented with lemongrass, ginger and onion, often thickened with toasted rice flour and served with a generous spread of garnishes. The exact bowl changes by region and cook. Freshwater fish such as catfish or snakehead are traditional, while the broth can be thinner or thicker and the garnishes can range from boiled egg to fried fritters.
This version keeps the defining fish, aromatics, rice noodles and lightly thickened broth while giving practical substitutions for a U.S. kitchen. Banana stem is traditional in many versions; canned banana blossom is an optional stand-in for some texture, but the soup is still worth making without it.
An all-day breakfast with roots in the Irrawaddy Delta
Saveur describes mohinga as Myanmar’s national dish and notes that regional variations are abundant, while KPBS reported on the soup as the taste of the Irrawaddy Delta and a breakfast sold across the country by hawkers, carts, shops and restaurants. Though strongly associated with morning eating, it has long escaped the breakfast-only category and is eaten as a snack or meal throughout the day.
The soup’s street-food identity matters. Traditional vendors can specialize in a particular regional style, and the bowl is finished at the point of serving with garnishes chosen for freshness, acidity and crunch. That last-minute construction is part of why mohinga feels lively rather than simply like noodles in a thick fish soup.
Myanmar has many legitimate regional and household versions. This recipe is a practical home adaptation rather than a claim to a single definitive mohinga.
Preparation notes
A gentle simmer keeps the flesh tender and gives you cleaner flakes to return to the broth.
Two to three minutes in a dry skillet removes its raw cereal taste and adds a faintly nutty aroma.
Mohinga should lightly coat a spoon. If it becomes porridge-thick, loosen it with hot water or stock.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb catfish, cod, or another firm white fish
- 8 cups water or light fish stock
- 3 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut in lengths
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1/3 cup rice flour
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour, optional
- 1 cup thinly sliced banana stem or drained canned banana blossom, optional
- 8 oz rice vermicelli
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Crispy chickpea fritters or fried onions, for serving
- Chile flakes or chile oil, for serving
Method
- 1.Toast the rice flour. Put rice flour in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and stir 2–3 minutes, until it smells faintly nutty but has not browned. Cool.
- 2.Poach the fish. Put fish, water and half the lemongrass in a pot. Bring just to a simmer and cook 8–12 minutes. Checkpoint: the thickest part should flake easily and be opaque.
- 3.Strain and flake. Lift out the fish and lemongrass. Reserve the broth. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and break the fish into coarse flakes.
- 4.Build the aromatic base. In the cleaned pot, cook onion with a spoonful of neutral oil over medium heat 6–8 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, remaining lemongrass and turmeric; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 5.Make the broth. Pour the reserved broth back in, scraping the pot. Add fish sauce and the flaked fish. Bring to a controlled simmer for 10 minutes.
- 6.Thicken carefully. Whisk toasted rice flour and chickpea flour, if using, with 1 cup cool broth until smooth. Stir it gradually into the pot. Checkpoint: after 5 minutes the broth should look silky and lightly coat a spoon, not stand up like gravy.
- 7.Add banana stem if using. Stir it in and simmer 8–12 minutes, until tender enough to bite through but not mushy. Add hot water if the soup thickens too much.
- 8.Cook the noodles separately. Prepare rice vermicelli according to the package. Drain and rinse briefly so the strands stay distinct.
- 9.Balance the pot. Taste the broth. Add fish sauce for savory depth, hot water if too concentrated, or a squeeze of lime if it needs brightness.
- 10.Build the bowls. Divide noodles among bowls, ladle over hot broth, and top with egg, cilantro, scallion, lime and crisp fritters or fried onions. Serve chile at the table.
Hard-to-find ingredients
Asian groceries are the best first stop for rice vermicelli and banana stem. These search links are useful if local sourcing is limited.