Mohingha
Burmese housewives buy this well-known and delicious one-course meal from hawkers, recognized by a bamboo pole carried across their shoulders. At one end is a container with a charcoal fire and at the other end is everything else they need to make the meal.
Ingredients
- 675g / 1½lb huss, cod or mackerel, cleaned but left on the bone
- 3 lemon grass stalks
- 2.5cm / 1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled
- 30ml / 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 onions, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2-3 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped
- 5ml / 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 75ml / 5 tbsp groundnut oil, for frying
- 400ml / 14fl oz can coconut milk
- 25g / 1oz / 3 tbsp rice flour
- 25g / 1oz / 3 tbsp chick-pea flour (besan)
- pieces of banana trunk, or heart, if available, or 540g / 1lb 5oz drained canned bamboo shoot, sliced
- salt and ground black pepper
- wedges of hard-boiled egg, thinly sliced red onions, finely chopped spring onions, a few deep fried prawns and fried chillies (see Cook's Tip), to garnish
- 450g / 1lb dried or fresh rice noodles, cooked according to the instructions on the packet, to serve
Preparation
 |
- Place the fish in a large pan and pour in cold water to cover. Bruise two lemon grass stalks and half the ginger and add to the pan. Bring to the boil, add the fish sauce and cook for 10 minutes. Lift out the fish and allow to cool while straining the stock into a large bowl. Discard any skin and bones from the fish and break the flesh into small pieces.
- Cut off the lower 5cm / 2in of the remaining lemon grass stalk and discard; roughly chop the remaining lemon grass. Put it in a food processor with the remaining ginger, the onions, garlic, chillies and turmeric. Process to a smooth paste. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the paste until it gives off a rich aroma. Remove from the heat and add the fish.
- Stir the coconut milk into the reserved fish stock, then add enough water to make up to 2.5 litres / 4 pints / 10 cups and pour into a large pan. In a jug, mix the rice flour and chick-pea (besan) flour to a thin cream with some of the stock. Stir this into the coconut and stock mixture and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
- Add the banana trunk or heart or bamboo shoots and cook for 10 minutes until just tender. Stir in the fish mixture and season. Cook until hot. Guests pour soup over the noodles and add hard-boiled egg, onions, spring onions, prawns and fried chillies as a garnish.
COOK'S TIP
To make fried chillies, dry roast 8-10 dried red chillies in a heavy frying pan, then pound them, fry in 30ml / 2 tbsp peanut oil and stir in 25g / 1oz dried shrimps (pounded).
Serves 8.