Khao Soi

Ingredients

Curry paste

• 6dried red chillies, soaked
• 4shallots
• 6 clovesgarlic
• 2cm ginger
• 2cm turmeric
• 1 stalklemongrass
• 1 tspcoriander seed
• 1 tspcumin seed
• 1 tspcurry powder
• 1 tspshrimp paste
• 3cardamom pods

Soup

• 800 gchicken legs
• 400 mlthick coconut milk
• 400 mlthin coconut milk
• 500 mlchicken stock
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tbsppalm sugar
• 2 tbspoil

Noodles

• 500 gfresh flat egg noodles
• oil, for deep frying

To serve

• pickled mustard greens
• shallots, sliced
• lime wedges
• chilli oil
• coriander

Directions

1. Toast the coriander, cumin and cardamom in a dry pan, then grind them.
2. Pound the soaked chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, shrimp paste and ground spices into a paste, or blend with a splash of water.
3. Fresh turmeric is what gives khao soi its colour and its particular earthiness, and dried powder is a poor stand-in.
4. Take a quarter of the noodles and deep-fry them at 180°C (355°F) for about 30 seconds, until puffed and crisp, then drain them.
5. Fry them first and set them aside. The crisp noodle nest on top is not a garnish, it is one of the two textures the dish is built on.
6. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the curry paste for 5 minutes until deeply fragrant and darkened.
7. Fry the paste until the oil separates and turns orange. Under-fried paste tastes raw and the whole soup stays thin and flat.
8. Add the thick coconut milk a ladleful at a time, letting each reduce and split slightly before the next.
9. Letting the coconut milk crack and the oil separate is a deliberate northern Thai technique, not a fault, and it is where the richness comes from.
10. Add the chicken, the thin coconut milk and the stock, and simmer gently for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
11. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, and taste for the balance of salty, sweet and rich.
12. Boil the remaining noodles briefly, for 2 minutes, and divide them between bowls.
13. Ladle the curry and a chicken leg over each.
14. Top with a nest of the fried crisp noodles.
15. Serve with pickled mustard greens, raw shallot, lime and chilli oil on the side, all added by the person eating.
16. The pickled greens and raw shallot are essential rather than optional. The curry is rich and sweet, and the sour and sharp condiments are what keep it from cloying.
17. It came into Chiang Mai through Yunnanese Muslim traders, which is why it carries curry powder and cardamom rather than the herbs of central Thai curries.

Technique

• Khao soi means cut rice, referring to an older noodle-making method rather than to anything in the modern dish.
• The Lao and Shan dishes of the same name are quite different and have no coconut milk.
• Beef khao soi is common in Muslim neighbourhoods of Chiang Mai.

Substitutions

• Ready-made khao soi or massaman paste with extra turmeric and curry powder.
• Fresh egg noodles from a Chinese grocer, or dried in a pinch.

Variations

• Made with beef, simmered longer.
• Vegetarian, with tofu and mushroom and no shrimp paste.
• The Shan version, a clear broth with no coconut milk at all.

History

Coconut curry noodles of Chiang Mai, carried into northern Thailand along the caravan routes of Yunnanese Muslim Chin Haw traders.

Frequently asked questions

What is Khao Soi?

Khao Soi is a main from Thailand: chiang Mai coconut curry noodles topped with crispy noodles and pickles. Coconut curry noodles of Chiang Mai, carried into northern Thailand along the caravan routes of Yunnanese Muslim Chin Haw traders.

How long does Khao Soi take to make?

Khao Soi takes 30 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Khao Soi?

Yes, within limits. Ready-made khao soi or massaman paste with extra turmeric and curry powder. Fresh egg noodles from a Chinese grocer, or dried in a pinch.

What is the most important thing to get right in Khao Soi?

Fry the paste until the oil separates and turns orange. Under-fried paste tastes raw and the whole soup stays thin and flat.