Khao Soi
Khao Soi is a flavourful dish that originates from the northern regions of Thailand and Myanmar. It's a noodle soup that's made with a delicious combination of ingredients, including tender chunks of chicken or beef, egg noodles, and a creamy, spicy curry sauce that's made from a mixture of coconut milk, red curry paste, and various seasonings.
The result is a warm and satisfying bowl of goodness that's sure to please your taste buds! The best way to enjoy Khao Soi is to ladle it over a bed of soft, egg noodles, and garnish it with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and a handful of crispy, deep-fried noodles. Trust me, once you take your first bite, you'll be hooked!
I tried this dish for the first time in Chiang Mai and have made many versions ever since - this recipe if my favourite one as I think it’s the easiest one and it’s not too overwhelming. You can make Khao Soi two ways: the easy or the harder way - for the easy way buy Thai Red Curry Paste and skip steps 1 to 3.
For the harder way we will be making the curry paste ourselves (which is super fun) but requires a couple extra ingredients. Making this dish vegetarian is also very easy - just replace the chicken with tofu.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes (with curry paste) 20 Minutes (making your own curry paste)
Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients for Curry Paste (for 4):
If you want to make the Curry Paste yourself I suggest you head to an Asia Store - this is where you’ll find all of the ingredients you need:
Bird's eye Chilli - 3 whole chillis - if you buy dried chillis let them soak in water for 20 minutes
Thai Garlic - 3 cloves
Shallots - 2
Lemongrass - 2 stems
Galangal - a thumb
Coriander Root - 2 roots
Turmeric - a thumb
Kaffir Lime Rind - 1/2 tsp. around 3/4 of a kaffir lime
Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Masala Powder - 1 Tbsp.
Shrimp Paste - 1/2 tsp (only if you want to - I usually leave it out)
If you are not making your curry paste:
Thai Red Curry Paste - 70g
Masala Powder - 1 Tbsp.
Ingredients for Khao Soi:
Chicken Thighs - 4 (vegetarian alternative - tofu)
Cooking Oil
Coconut Milk - 800mL
Chicken Broth - 250 mL (alternative vegetarian broth)
Egg Noodles - 400g
Possible Garnish:
Coriander
Spring Onions
Shallots
Pickled Cabbage
Fresh Slice of Lime
Preparation:
We start by making the curry paste - in a mortar, pound the coriander seeds, peppercorns and salt until finely ground. If you don’t have a mortar you can use a blender for everything.
Take your blender, add the finely ground coriander seeds and peppercorns chop all your ingredients finely and add them to the blender (Bird's eye Chilli, Thai Garlic, Shallots, Lemongrass, Galangal, Coriander Root, Turmeric, Kaffir Lime Rind, Salt, Masala Powder & Shrimp Paste). You can also do this whole process in a mortar but it needs to be big enough and it takes a bit more time.
Pulse everything until you get a smooth paste - your curry paste is done! You can now taste it and see if it’s spicy enough for you - if not add one or two more Bird’s eye Chillis.
Now we move on to the next part - making the Khao Soi. In a skillet or a pan, heat your cooking oil - once warm add the curry paste and stir frequently at medium heat.
Take your chicken thighs and add them to the skillet, cooking until they are no longer pink.
Add the coconut milk and let simmer for 20 minutes.
While your Khao Soi is cooking we need to make the noodles - take your noodles and cook them according to the instructions (usually boiling for 2 minutes). Once your noodles are done put 70% of them aside and take the other 30%.
Dry the 30% with kitchen towels and sprinkle them with flour - leave to dry for 20 minutes.
When the 20 minutes are over heat some frying oil in a pan and fry the noodles we have put aside to dry.
It’s now time to put together your Khao Soi - add the non fried noodles to a bowl, then add the Khao Soi soup and then garnish with the fried noodles on top. Add some of the possible garnishes on top (I love the lime slice and the coriander).