Myanmar's national dish — a rich, earthy fish and lemongrass broth with rice noodles, crispy fritters, and hard-boiled eggs. Every Burmese person knows the taste of mohinga from childhood.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: deep bowl
Garnishes: crispy fritters, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, sliced banana stem
Accompaniments: chili flakes, fish sauce
Instructions
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1
Poach the fish fillets in two litres of water with the bruised lemongrass and one tablespoon of fish sauce for fifteen minutes until the flesh flakes easily. Remove the fish and reserve the broth. Flake the fish finely, discarding any bones and skin.
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2
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the sliced onion until golden, about six minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Stir constantly for two minutes until the aromatics are deeply fragrant and the oil turns golden.
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3
Pour the reserved fish broth into the pot through a fine strainer to remove the lemongrass. Add the remaining fish sauce and bring to a gentle boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, aiming for a savoury, aromatic broth with depth and complexity.
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4
Whisk the chickpea flour with half a cup of water until smooth, then pour it into the simmering broth while stirring constantly. This thickens the soup to its characteristic slightly viscous consistency that clings to the noodles beautifully.
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5
Add the flaked fish and optional sliced banana stem to the thickened broth. Simmer for ten more minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, allowing all the flavours to meld together into a unified, deeply savoury fish chowder.
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6
Cook the rice vermicelli noodles in a separate pot of boiling water for three minutes until tender, then drain and divide among deep serving bowls. Ladle the hot fish broth generously over the noodles, ensuring each bowl gets plenty of flaked fish.
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7
Garnish each bowl with halved hard-boiled eggs, fried shallots, fresh cilantro leaves, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with chilli flakes and extra fish sauce on the side so diners can adjust the heat and seasoning to their preference.
Did You Know?
Mohinga is eaten for breakfast across Myanmar — street vendors set up before dawn and sell out by mid-morning.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- large pot
- mortar and pestle
- strainer
Garnishing
crispy fritters, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, sliced banana stem
Accompaniments
chili flakes, fish sauce
The Story Behind Mohinga
### The Story
Mohinga is widely considered Myanmar's national dish, a rich, deeply savory fish-based noodle soup eaten for breakfast by millions of Burmese every morning. The dish features thin rice noodles (mohnt) in a thick, aromatic broth made from catfish (or other freshwater fish), chickpea flour (which gives the broth its characteristic body), banana stem, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, onions, and turmeric, finished with fish sauce and topped with crispy fritters (akyaw). Mohinga's origins are intertwined with Myanmar's river culture -- the Irrawaddy, Chindwin, and Sittaung rivers provided abundant freshwater fish, and the dish evolved among the fishing and farming communities of the central dry zone, likely centuries before colonial records.
### On the Calendar
Mohinga is quintessentially a breakfast dish, sold from street carts and roadside stalls beginning at dawn. It is also the traditional food served at novitiation ceremonies (shinbyu) and is consumed at all hours during festivals, particularly Thingyan (Water Festival/New Year).
### Then & Now
Every mohinga vendor has a closely guarded recipe, and regional variations are significant: Mandalay versions tend thicker and spicier, Yangon versions are slightly lighter, and Rakhine state's version uses coastal fish and more chili. The broth requires slow simmering of fish bones and flesh, which is then flaked and returned to the pot. Chickpea flour, toasted and dissolved, provides thickening. Essential garnishes include crispy split-pea fritters (baya kyaw), sliced banana stem, coriander, lime, and fish sauce. The sound of a mohinga seller's call at dawn is one of the defining sounds of Myanmar.
### Legacy
Mohinga is the heartbeat of Myanmar's morning, a bowl of soup so fundamental to national identity that it transcends regional, ethnic, and social divisions -- the one dish all Burmese agree upon.
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