Khao Soi

I can’t wait for you to try this dish. The creaminess of coconut milk and the aroma of the paste makes the broth rich and pleasant. It’s quite easy to make and it is a crowd pleaser. When I entertain at home, my family always request this dish!

serves 4-6

1 cup Khao Soi paste, see recipe

4 12-ounce cans coconut milk

4 pieces chicken thighs or short ribs or proteine of choice 

6 cups fresh egg noodles or pasta of your choice, divided

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup fish sauce

½ cup palm sugar

1 quart vegetable oil (for crispy noodles)

Condiments:

Pickled mustard or pickle purple cabbage 

Lime wedge

Chili oil, see recipe

Shallot, thinly sliced

On a large sheet pan, pull apart the egg noodles so that they don’t stick together in the pot. Divide the noodles. 

In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 4 cups egg noodles and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Drizzle with vegetable oil and mix so the noodles don’t stick to each other.

With the remaining 2 cups noodles, use your hands to form four quarter-cup sized nests. In a large pot over high heat, bring 2 quarts oil to 375F. Add nests of noodles and fry until crispy and golden, 3-4 minutes.

Skim 2 tablespoons coconut cream from the top of one of the cans of coconut milk and set aside. In a medium size pot, cook Khao Soi paste with 2 tablespoons coconut cream over medium until the color intensifies, about 3 minutes.

Add chicken, short ribs or protein of choice. For chicken -  skin side down and cook until skin browns, about 3 minutes.  For short ribs - sear each side of the ribs until well coated with the paste, about 3 minutes. Add the rest of coconut milk and bring just to a boil.

Turn heat to low and season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Simmer the curry for another 15 minutes.

In a second large pot, heat the oil until it reaches 375F. Fry egg noodles until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a sheet tray lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Serve on top of the curry and noodles.

To serve:

Top cooked noodles with a ladle of curry and a piece of chicken, then with fried noodles. Serve with mustard, lime wedges, chili oil, and thinly sliced shallot on the side.

For the Khao Soi paste:

7 dried long Thai chilis, hydrated until soft 

1 teaspoon salt

9 shallots, skins removed

1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled

½ tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted

2 pieces black cardamom, toasted

1 tablespoon fresh turmeric

Wrap shallots and ginger together in aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until soft.

In a stone mortar, mash everything until it becomes a paste or in a blender, blend everything into a paste. If the blender is not strong enough, put in about 2 tablespoon of coconut milk to help it to blend better. 

For the chili oil:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons ground Thai chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, stir oil and chili together until well blended. Mix in salt. Cook over heat until salt dissolves, about 2 minutes.