Mohinga
Ingredients
- 1 lb catfish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp shrimp paste
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 cups fish or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 lb fresh rice noodles
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- 2 stalks green onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp crispy fried onions
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add catfish pieces and sear 3-4 minutes per side until golden, then remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add remaining 1 tbsp oil, then add diced onion and cook 4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and ginger, cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in shrimp paste and cook 1 minute, breaking it into the oil. Add paprika and cayenne, stirring constantly for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- Pour in fish stock and bring to a boil. Return catfish to pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Add tamarind paste and fish sauce, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning—broth should be balanced between salty, slightly sour, and subtly spicy.
- While broth simmers, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook according to package directions (typically 3-4 minutes for fresh noodles), then drain and rinse.
- Divide hot rice noodles among four bowls. Ladle catfish broth and fish pieces over noodles, ensuring each bowl gets generous broth.
- Top each bowl with 2 hard-boiled egg halves, sliced green onion, crispy fried onions, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges and extra fish sauce on the side for individual seasoning.
Inspired by Jocelyn Law-Yone’s winning mohinga. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.