Ohn No Khao Swe

Ingredients

Broth

• 800 gchicken thighs, in pieces
• 4 tbspoil
• 3onions, blended to a paste
• 8garlic cloves, crushed
• 1thumb ginger, grated
• 1 tspturmeric
• 2 tsppaprika
• 1 tspchilli powder
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 1.2 litreschicken stock

Thickener

• 80 ggram flour
• 200 mlcold water

Coconut

• 600 mlthick coconut milk

Noodles

• 600 gfresh wheat noodles, or 400 g dried

Toppings

• 4hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 1onion, very thinly sliced
• 3spring onions, sliced
• a handful of coriander
• crisp fried noodles or wonton strips
• chilli flakes
• lime wedges
• fish sauce

Directions

1. Blend the onions to a smooth paste with a little water. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over a medium heat. Add the onion paste and cook it for twelve to fifteen minutes. Stir it regularly so it does not catch. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for two minutes.
2. Stir in the turmeric, paprika and chilli powder. Fry the ground spices for a full minute. They should smell toasted rather than raw. Add a splash of water if they start to stick. Cooking the chicken is done in the paste. Add the chicken pieces and turn them in the spiced paste. Cook them for five minutes until coated and sealed. Add the fish sauce to the pot. Pour in the measured chicken stock.
3. Bring it to a simmer and cook for twenty-five minutes. The chicken should be tender and cooked through. Lift the chicken out and shred it roughly. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Making the chickpea flour slurry is the step that must not be rushed. Whisk the gram flour into the cold water in a bowl.
4. Whisk until it is completely smooth with no lumps at all. Never add dry gram flour to hot liquid, which lumps instantly. Let it stand for five minutes and whisk it again. Adding it to the pot needs constant stirring. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Pour the slurry in slowly while stirring hard. Keep stirring for the first two minutes. Simmer it for ten minutes so the flour cooks out.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and lower the heat. Bring it to a bare simmer and never let it boil. Simmer it gently for ten minutes. Taste it and adjust the fish sauce. It should be creamy and should coat the back of a spoon. Boil the wheat noodles until just tender. Fresh noodles take two minutes and dried about five. Drain them and rinse them briefly under hot water.
6. Toss them with a little oil so they do not stick. Slice the onion as thinly as you possibly can. Rinse it and squeeze it dry to remove the harshness. Boil the eggs and cut them in half. Fry a handful of noodles or wonton strips until crisp.
7. Set everything out in separate small bowls. Serving it is done by assembly at the table. Put a nest of noodles in each deep bowl. Ladle the hot coconut broth over them. Add shredded chicken and half an egg to each bowl. Squeeze lime over generously, which cuts the richness. Serve it immediately, since the noodles keep absorbing broth.

Technique

• Cook the onion paste until the oil separates, which is the sign it is properly done.
• Whisk the gram flour into cold water first, since dry flour lumps in hot broth instantly.
• Never let the coconut milk boil, as it splits into oil and curds.

Substitutions

• Dried wheat noodles in place of fresh.
• Tinned full-fat coconut milk, which is what most cooks use.

Variations

• Made with duck instead of chicken.
• Vegetarian, with tofu and vegetable stock.
• Made thicker, closer to a sauce over noodles.

History

Wheat noodles in coconut chicken broth, a Burmese member of the coconut noodle soup family found across Southeast Asia.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ohn No Khao Swe?

Ohn No Khao Swe is a soup & stew from Myanmar: coconut chicken soup with wheat noodles and crisp toppings. Wheat noodles in coconut chicken broth, a Burmese member of the coconut noodle soup family found across Southeast Asia.

How long does Ohn No Khao Swe take to make?

Ohn No Khao Swe takes 30 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Ohn No Khao Swe?

Yes, within limits. Dried wheat noodles in place of fresh. Tinned full-fat coconut milk, which is what most cooks use.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ohn No Khao Swe?

Stir in the turmeric, paprika and chilli powder. Fry the ground spices for a full minute. They should smell toasted rather than raw. Add a splash of water if they start to stick. Cooking the chicken is done in the paste. Add the chicken pieces and turn them in the spiced paste. Cook them for five minutes until coated and sealed. Add the fish sauce to the pot. Pour in the measured chicken stock.