Mohinga, Burmese Fish Soup Noodle

Recently, we were invited for Lunch at our friend's place. They are of Burmese origin and had served us Mohinga, a type of Burmese fish soup noodle. According to Wikipedia, Mohinga is a rice noodle and fish soup from Myanmar and is an essential part of Burmese cuisine. It is considered by many to be the national dish of Myanmar.

It is sort of like Asam Laksa minus the spiciness, looks a bit like mee rebus and tasted sweet, sour and a little sourish.. a very refreshing combination of natural taste without the use of salt or pepper which are quite core ingredients of most recipe.

After some googling around checking out on different recipes, I had attempted to try this out. Ingredients are quite easily available and all I needed was a little twist and combining the various recipes to render this version.

Please note that I had adjusted some of the ingredients due to my low carb diet, feel free to switch it to whichever you are comfortable. And this may not be authentic dish like those in Myanmar but rather my own adaptation based on information gathered from the internet.

Ingredients:

• 3tbsp of olive oil (you can use any oil like canola, or even peanut oil)
• 1/2tsp Natvia (if using sugar, use 1tsp)
• 1 shallots (sliced)
• 2.5 big onions (sliced)
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 lemongrass stalk (2 pcs halved lengthwise and the other 2 sliced)
• 4-5cups of water
• 2tsp of turmeric powder
• 1tbsp of anchovies powder/granules (I used the japanese type)
• 2tsp salted anchovies paste
• 2tsp of tamarind paste
• 6 slices of ginger
• 300-400g of barramundi fish (cut to cube pieces, you may use any white fish and original recipe in Burma uses catfish)
• 1tsp of smoked paprika (if you are not cooking for kids, feel free to use crushed chilli)
• 1/4 cup of chick pea powder/flour (also known as garbanzo bean)
• 2tbsp fish sauce
• 4 hard boiled egg (either quartered it or sliced)
• 4 servings of cooked rice noodles (I used dried laksa noodle, boiled for bout 5-7mins)
• chopped red chilli for garnishing (and spiciness)
• sliced scallion for garnishing
• chopped cilantro for garnishing
• lime wedges (we used one lime)
• a packet of pea chips to serve along

Steps:

1. In the blender, blend these ingredients together till it form a paste: 1/2 portion of the onions, sliced lemongrass, smoked paprika and 3 slices of ginger.
2. In a pot (I'm using the french oven aka enamel coated dutch oven), add in water, turmeric powder, garlic (crushed), lemongrass (the halved), 3 ginger slices, tamarind paste, anchovies stock, anchovies paste and fish sauce. Let the boil and simmer for bout 5-6mins.
3. Add in the fish to the simmering broth and let it cook. It should only takes bout 2-3mins depending on the size of the cutlet. Sieve the fish out and side aside. 
4. Remove the lemongrass, garlic and ginger from the broth.
5. Pour the chickpea flour on a pan, on low heat, saute it till golden brown. Dish out and set aside once done.
6. Using the same pan, heat 1tbsp of oil in the pan, sprinkle the sugar in it and saute the shallots till light golden brown. Once down, dish out set aside.
7. Again on the same pan, add in the balance of the oil, saute the blended onion mixture till fragrant, add in the fish to give it a stir and coat the fish with the mixture. Dish out the fish and set aside.
8. Now dish the balance of the sauted onion mixture to the broth and continue to let it simmer. While simmering slowly stir in the fried chickpea flour so that it helps to thicken the sauce.
9. Add in balance of the onion to simmer. Simmer till the onion soften.
10. Once done, assemble the serving with noodle, top with the fish. Then scoop the broth with the onion over it. Sprinkle with chopped chilli, cilantro, crispy shallot and a piece of the pea chips.

Keropok Lekor aka as Malay Fish Fingers

This is oil fried version

This is air fried version

This is how it looks like before slicing to fry

What happens when you are in the land that you don't get what you crave for easily or almost not available, you try making it yourself. Keropok lekor is one of my favourite snack from the night market back home. This is actually my second attempt of making this snack. The first was a failure maybe due to the type of fish used. I used basa fillet the first time and it tasted more just like normal fish cake and lack of that spongy feel for the thick type and not crispy for the thin type.

This time, I used barramundi and it works nicely. Maybe it is due to the "kaoness" of the fish. It is the stickiness effect that the fish achieve after being mashed.

Here is the recipe for this yummy snack:

Ingredients:

• 450-470g of fish fillet (I used barramundi, you can use tuna or even ready made fish paste
• 1 1/4 cups of tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup of plain flour
• few pieces of ice cubes
• a pinch of salt
• 10g butter
• 1cup plain flour for dusting
• 1 pot of salted water for boiling
• oil to fry

Steps:

1. Place the 6 ingredients in the food processor. Mix till it is even.
2. Dust the working top with plain flour and scoop the mixture out to shape.
3. Divide the mixture into 6 parts and dust it generously with the plain flour.
4. Shape it into long tube of roughly 12cm with diameter of 2.5cm. Place them aside.
5. Boil the salted water. Once boil, place in a few pieces of the fish tubes and let it boil for bout 4-5mins. It is ready once the tube floats in the water.
6. Remove the fish tubes and let it dry and cool down.
7. Once it is cool and dry, slice it to the thickness of your preference and fry.
8. If you using the air fryer, it takes about 8-10mins at 200c. Time varies with the thickness you cut the cracker.

Cheat Curry Fish Head

I bought a big fish recently and got the fish monger to cut the fish to half for us and hubby requested for fish curry. So, I cooked up this cheat version so that I don't need to get so many ingredients and spent to much time (I have a baby and a 6yo to attend to).

So, this is the fish head curry...

Ingredients:

• one fish head, roughly 600g
• a big handful of frozen okra (no fresh one available since mine is last min decision to cook and shop for ingredients)
• 4 pieces of taufu pok
• 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoon of onion
• a few leaves of curry leaf
• one chopped tomato
• 2tablespoon of nyonya sambal (bottled from asian grocer)
• 2 tablespoon of baba's fish curry powder
• 1cup water
• 0.5 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt to season

Steps:

1. Clean the fish head, season with a little salt and air fried it at 180c for 15mins. 
2. At the last 5mins, add in the taufu pok to air fry too.
3. Heat up the wok and add in the oil. Saute the curry leaves and onion till almost brown.
4. Stir in the water, curry powder and sambal.
5. Then add in the okra, taufu pok, tomato and fish head.
6. Simmer for 7-8mins for each side of the fish and turn and simmer another 5-6mins.
7. Finally, add in the milk and shredded coconut and let it thicken a little.
8. Season before serving.

Westernized Otak Otak

Not sure what got into me, I just got a bit bored with pan frying the fish fillet and wanted something different, so I ended up with a westernized version of otak otak.

Ingredients:

• 300g of basa fish fillet
• quarter carrot, cut to smaller pieces to be able to blend easier
• a handful of spinach
• a handful of shredded cheddar
• 2-3 cubes of ice
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of curry powder
• 1 teaspoon of tumeric powder

Methods:

1. Mix all ingredients in the blender and blend till the fish turn pasty and ice is well crushed.
2. Scooped paste on aluminium foil and shaped and keep in fridge.
3. Either pan fried with a little oil or covered in foiled and bake in oven at 180C for 20mins.

The picture above is served with some salad leaves and pan fried potato slices.

Okara Fish Chicken Potstickers

Ingredients:
Fillings

• 500g chicken fillet
• 4 tablespoon of okara
• 4 tablespoon of fish paste
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• 4 tablespoon of shredded carrot
• 3 cloves of shredded garlic
• 2cm of shredded ginger
• 1 teaspoon of 5 spice powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
• 2 teaspoon of salt

Dough

• a pinch of salt
• 3.5cups of flour
• 1 cup of water

Steps:

1. Blend everything of the fillings ingredients in the blender, then leave in fridge to chill.
2. Use the mixer to mix all the dough ingredients. Then use the hand to knead. Cut to small pieces and form round balls. If the dough is sticky, use more flour to cover the tabletop and your palm.
3. Flatten the dough, use the rolling pin to roll it to flat round pieces of dough.
4. Filled in the filling (approximately 1.5 teaspoon, depending on size of the dough).
5. Pleat the dough.
6. After all done, heat up the non stick pan with a little oil
7. Place the potstickers on the pan, fry one side for bout 1min, then turn. Add bout 1table spoon water. Cover the pan and let all the water dry. Dish out and continue with the rest.
8. Serve with dipping sauce.

Ham Choy (Salted Vege) Taufu Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1-2 blocks of soft silken Taufu (depend to how much taufu you want to have in your soup) - I use those fr the market small pieces one, not the box packet from supermarket
2. 50g of salted vege (pre soaked in water) - cut to slices
3. 3 cups of ikan bilis stock (add some ginger in it)
4. 2pcs of sour plum
5. half a white promfret (lightly marinated with pepper and salt) - cut to bite pieces
6. few slices of squid
7. 2 pieces of fresh shitake mushroom (sliced)
8. 1 tomato (chopped to small pieces)
9. pepper for seasoning

Steps:

1. Bring the stock to boil.
2. Add in sour plum, salted vege, tomato and mushroom.
3. After about 2 mins, add in taufu, fish and squid.
4. Season with pepper before serving.

Various Food

Drunken prawn with herbal soup based...




Nothing special bout the fish, it is the dip. Pickled lime with fish sauce and fried ginger with garlic..



Baked chicken with cheese filling:



Char siew tar pao for CNY eve dinner:


CNY eve dinner:

Baby Food

Steam egg: contains fish paste, potato, carrot, egg and water.



Steam Cheesey Brinjal: contains cheese and minced pork.

Curry Fish

Sophie dares to take curry.. cant believe it.

Random Pic of Food

Sour Fish Soup



Rib Stew with Mushroom and Dry Mussel





Bake Prawn

Glutinous Rice Fish Ball Soup

Ingredients:
- 3tablespoon of glutinous rice (soaked for at least 4hrs)
- 500g fish paste (I bought ready made)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 small onion (chopped)
- pinch of pepper
- 5 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of miso paste
- 1 teaspoon of chopped chilli
- 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
- a dash of sesame oil


1. Mix soy sauce, onion, chilli, pepper and fish paste till even.
2. Formed to small ball shape.
3. Boil the water.
4. Coat the fish ball with the glutious rice. Add in to the boiling water.
5. Mix the fish sauce, sesame oil and miso paste in the serving bowl.
6. When all the balls float up, pour everything to the bowl. Ready to serve.

Bake Fishy Potato

We had bake potato with fish paste yesterday:




Ingredients:

• 600g fish paste
• 1 black fungus, soaked and chopped finely
• 1 chinese mushroom, soaked and chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon of chopped carrot
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon of corn flour
• 1 tablespoon of kicap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 2 potato washed and sliced to 0.5cm thickness each
• 2 teaspoon of sesame oil

Steps:

1. Mixed all the ingredients (except for potato and sesame oil) evenly.
2. Spread the mixture on top of the potato and bake under 180 degree celcius heat for 15mins.
3. Take it out and drip one drop of sesame oil on each and put back in the oven (turn off the heat). Leave it for 5mins..

Bake Fish with Slice Potato

Yesterday, I bake two slices of tengiri topped with sauteed shallots and lemon grass along with some slices of potato... taste good, will be even better if it is with olive oil (I uses sesame oil).

The lemongrass fragrant is wonderful, the potato is crispy. It is seasoned with salt, pepper and dried basil powder.

First bake the potato slices for 10mins (200 degree celcius) then add on the fish and bake for another 10mins... let it sit in the oven for another 5mins...

Fried Spinach Fishball

Saw this read made fish paste in the market and decided to get a pack of it instead of doing it on my own (no time for that now).

Ingredients:

• 500g fish paste (the market lady uses tenggiri)




• a bunch of spinach (the stem, chopped to fine pieces, leaves to small pieces)




• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce




• 1 tablespoon of butter




• 1 tablespoon of mixed dried herbs (those u use for pizza)




• dash of pepper for taste




• 1 tablespoon of corn flour




• 1 tablespoon of chopped chilli (for color purpose)




• 2 tablespoon of oil for frying

1. Mix the fish paste, soy sauce, butter, dried herbs, pepper, corn flour, chopped chilli and chopped spinach till even.




2. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and wrap the spinach leaves in it. Form it to a ball shape.




3. Heat the pan with oil, and pan fry the fish ball. I dont like deep fry, but if you do, you may try that.

*Photo will be posted later when I get my camera card out... hehehe...

Fried Spinach Fishball

Nutrient Packed Porridge

Had this really nutrient packed porridge for dinner today, tomoto, mushroom, fishball, egg, cranberry bean, black beans and crispy fried garlic (tipu a bit, use microwave).

Served with coriander fish (no chicken)... taste so so... hubby said too strong coriander taste, while I think I prefer plain bake fish... hehehe...

Fragant Bake Fish

With Flash

Without flash

• 150g of fish (I dont know the name of the fish, but its a oily fish, the tail part)


• Pinch of salt


• Pinch of pepper


• 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce


• 1 tablespoon of olive oil


• 1 inch of lemongrass, slice thinly


• 2 tablespoon of shallot chopped coarsely


• 1 tablespoon of garlic chopped coarsely


• 1 teaspoon of pomfret fish sauce


• Pinch of salt

1. Rub the fish all over with the pepper, salt and teriyaki sauce.


2. Bake it at 190 degree celcius for 30mins.


3. Heat up the oil and saute lemongrass and shallot till fragant.


4. Add in garlic and fry till it is almost golden.


5. Add in salt and fish sauce. Turn off the fire.


6. Serve it on top of the fish.

Fragant Bake Fish @ Group Recipes

Bake Fish

Cant remember details, so cant blog anything other than picture.

Food Pictures

Bake Tuna with Mushroom

My Fav veg, plain stir fry

Spicy Chilli Fish

Pork Chop Onion Noodle

Fried egg, grilled tomato and prawn, and steam butter carrot

Pork Prawn Burger with Pork Chop