Mohinga

For the broth, place the catfish, 500 ml water, 1 stalk of lemongrass, half the ginger, 4 garlic cloves, 1 onion, turmeric, black pepper, and 2 tbsp fish sauce in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily off the bones.

Remove the fish, let it cool, separate the meat from the bones, and break it into large flakes. Strain the broth; discard the heads and bones, as they won't be used further in the soup.

Trim off the tough outer layers of the banana stem, thinly slice the tender core, and soak it in water. In a dry pan, toast the rice flour and semolina separately for 3–4 minutes each until fragrant and nutty. Let cool, then whisk the rice flour, semolina, and chickpea flour into 500 ml water until smooth and lump-free. Cook the red lentils in water until they form a soft paste.

Finely chop 1 onion, the remaining ginger, 4 garlic cloves, and 2 stalks of lemongrass. Heat the oil in a pot, sauté the mixture for 3–4 minutes, then add the paprika and another 0.5 tsp turmeric.

Pour in the strained fish broth and 2 L water. Add the flour, semolina, and rice flour mixture, along with the red lentil paste. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly so the thickeners don't settle at the bottom.

Add the banana stem, catfish flakes, and whole shallots. Season with salt, pour in the remaining fish sauce, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, then another 15 minutes over low heat.

Pour boiling water over the rice noodles, leave for 10–15 minutes until soft, rinse with cold water, and drain well. Hard-boil the eggs for about 9 minutes, cool, and cut into wedges.

Divide the noodles among bowls, ladle the hot mohinga over them, add the egg wedges, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.