Mohinga is considered the most Burmese of all preparations — unlike many of Burma's dishes, which show clear Indian or Chinese influence, mohinga is considered indigenous. Duguid documents it as the preparation that every Myanmar person carries as a flavour memory of home.

Overview

The national breakfast dish of Myanmar — a preparation of catfish simmered in a lemongrass and banana stem broth, thickened with toasted rice powder and chickpea flour, served over thin rice vermicelli with garnishes of fried shallots, crispy split pea fritters (pe gyaw), hard-boiled egg, lime, fresh coriander, and dried chilli flakes. Mohinga is simultaneously a soup and a complete meal — its multiple textures, its thickened-but-clear broth, and its specific combination of catfish, banana stem, and lemongrass aromatics produce a preparation entirely unlike any other Southeast Asian noodle soup.

Key Principles

**The banana stem (kyun pen):** The inner core of the banana plant's stem — tender, slightly astringent, with a texture between artichoke heart and celery. Sliced into thin rounds, soaked in acidulated water (to prevent browning), simmered in the broth. The banana stem is not widely available outside Southeast Asia — substitute with bamboo shoots (similar texture if not identical flavour) or omit. **The catfish:** Fresh catfish, simmered in water with lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, and fish sauce until just cooked. Remove the fish, flake the flesh, and return the flaked fish to the simmered broth. The bones are discarded. The catfish's specific slightly earthy, freshwater flavour is the preparation's protein identity. **The thickening:** Toasted rice powder (Entry TH-12 principle) and chickpea flour (besan) — both added to the broth, which is then simmered for 5–10 minutes until slightly thick. The combination of these two flours produces a thickened broth with a slightly nutty, complex flavour that pure cornstarch cannot replicate. **The fish paste (ngapi):** A small amount of Burmese ngapi (fermented shrimp or fish paste) dissolved in the broth — providing the umami foundation of the broth. This is the Burmese version of the fermented fish seasoning that underpins all mainland Southeast Asian cooking. **The assembly:** Rice vermicelli in a bowl. Broth and fish ladled over. Garnishes: fried shallots and garlic (Entry FD-48 principle), pe gyaw (crispy split pea fritters — made by deep-frying soaked and ground yellow split peas), a hard-boiled egg (halved), lime wedge, dried chilli flakes, fresh coriander. Decisive moment: The consistency of the thickened broth — it should be thin enough to pour readily but thick enough to cling to the noodles and fish, coating them in a thin, slightly opaque film. The rice powder and chickpea flour thickening is calibrated by adding incrementally and testing: add too much and the broth becomes heavy and starchy; too little and it remains thin without the characteristic mohinga body.

Burmese Mohinga (Fish and Lemongrass Noodle Soup)