Mohinga Burmese Fish Noodle Stew

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A Note from Feedfeed

This Burmese noodle stew was made by our test kitchen assistant Aung, who grew up eating it in Burma for breakfast. The rich and bright flavors of lemongrass and ginger perfume the stew that becomes the home to rice noodles, hard boiled eggs and plenty of chilies, of course! It’s a cozy dish that’s sure to warm you up.

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  • Recipe Card
Prep time 1hr 10mins
Cook time 1hr
Serves or Makes: 6-8

Recipe Card

For the Stock

ingredients

  • 4 pounds whole white fish, such as branzino or sea bass
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped

For the Stew

ingredients

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 (1-inch) knob ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3/4 cup peanut oil
  • 7 shallots, 1 minced and 6 peeled whole
  • 2 stalks lemongraass, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoons chickpea flour
  • 3 tablespoons toasted rice powder, recipe below
  • 1 tablespoon Simply Organic Ground Turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 pound thin rice noodles

For Serving

ingredients

To Make the Fish Stock

Method

  • Step 1

    Before using fish for stock, rinse the fish, removing any fish scales and gills.

  • Step 2

    In a large stock pot, add the whole fish, carrots, lemongrass and onion. Add water to cover all the ingredients by 1 inch. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the fish is extremely tender, 30-35 minutes.

  • Step 3

    Gently transfer the fish to a heat safe bowl. Using a fork, flake off the meat of the fish, discarding any skin and bones. Reserve the meat for later. Place the fish head back into the stock and keep warm.

To Make the Stew

  • Step 1

    In a food processor, chop the garlic and ginger into a fine paste. Transfer to a small bowl.

  • Step 2

    In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic-ginger paste, minced shallot and lemongrass. Cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 4-6 minutes. Stir in the reserved meat, and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot, until golden brown, 10-14 minutes.

  • Step 3

    Stir the chickpea flour, toasted rice flour and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes until well incorporated.

  • Step 4

    Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the reserved fish stock into the Dutch oven. Add in the remaining 6 whole shallots and stir well to incorporate. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are soft and translucent, 25-30 minutes.

  • Step 5

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the thin rice noodles until softened, 10-15 minutes. Strain and place in the ice water to cool, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To Serve

  • Step 1

    Divide the noodles between bowls. Ladle the hot fish stew on top of the noodles. Top with cilantro, crushed red peppers, lime, egg and shallots. Serve immediately.

For the Toasted Rice Powder

ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons white rice

To Make the Toasted Rice Powder

  • Step 1

    In a small sauté pan, toast the rice over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly, until golden brown, 12-14 minutes.

  • Step 2

    Use a spice grinder to grind the toasted rice to a very fine texture, similar in consistency to all-purpose flour.