What are common mistakes when making Burmese flavour layering (mohinga and lahpet)?

Question

Accepted Answer

Using stock cubes instead of building the fish broth properly. Not roasting the chickpea flour before using as thickener — raw besan tastes gritty and raw. Under-using ngapi (shrimp paste) — it provides the umami backbone. Skipping the crispy fritter toppings for mohinga — the textural contrast between silky broth and crispy fritters is essential. Treating Burmese food as a subset of Thai or Indian — it has its own distinct logic.