On our recent trip to Burma/Myanmar, the Mohinga was one of the dishes I really enjoyed pigging out on.
Cherished as Burma’s national dish, Mohinga is a comforting noodle soup that exemplifies the earthy flavours of the country’s cuisine. Banana stems look like fibrous white leeks and taste very similar to the fruit. This Myanmar national dish of rice vermicelli is cooked in fish soup with fish paste, fish sauce, chickpea flour, onions, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and banana stem. Mohinga is garnished with fish sauce, a dash of lime juice, coriander, spring onions and dried chillies. It is best to serve with chickpeas, boiled eggs, fried fish cake and crispy fritters. Mohinga is readily available in most parts of the country either street hawkers or restaurants and commonly served as breakfast or on special occasions. In some places, Mohinga is also sold in dry packets as a ready made powder that is used for broth preparations. I should have taken some home, but then, I probably would not have been able to reconstruct it well as the original recipe! I’m missing Myanmar already..
Mohinga is a bowl of rice noodles in fish soup and considered by many to be the national dish of Burma. It is readily available in most parts of the country. In major cities, street hawkers and roadside stalls sell dozens of dishes of mohinga to the locals and passers-by. Although mohinga is available throughout the day, it is usually eaten as breakfast.
It is best to serve with chickpeas, boiled eggs, fried fish cake and crispy fritters
Whilst the noodles are tasty, the Burmese are extremely heavy handed with the salt. I’m talking adding up to a full teaspoonful of salt per bowl of noodles. You would be wise to tell them “less salt” in whatever you’re eating, unless you want your hair to fall out by the end of the trip. Otherwise, the mohinga is really rather delicious.
The local markets in Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and throughout the region serve Mohinga.. there is no shortage of it.
One of the best Mohinga we found was on the streets of Mandalay, at a restaurant called Unison.. we went back for more.. and more!
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Looking at the pictures, I could smell its aroma and thanks for reminding about the salt. hehe.
oooh, this mohinga looks and sounds like it’d be a really satisfying dish. like some kinda exotic laksa from a distant land! 😀
My favourite childhood dish. Love the catfish and heart of banana additions to it and the crispy poppadam type thingies.
Damn!! I want some now.. mommmmmmyyyyy
how come it’s your childhood dish? Did you live in Myanmar as a kid? Wow, Nazeen you’re full of surprises!! 🙂
Looks great! I am a big foodie and really want to go to Myanmar! Your tempting me more and more! 🙂
Oh you must Tom.. the place is vibrant and alive. AND relatively unspoilt by tourism still. Go NOW if you can!