Khao Soi Recipes

KHAO SOI SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir chopped shallots and garlic until garlic starts to turn golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Add red curry paste and curry powder; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, water, chicken, and sea salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer soup.
• Mix fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice into soup and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes more.
• Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; fry Thai chile peppers until browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer chile peppers to soup, reserving oil in skillet. Fry quartered shallots and bok choy in hot oil until browned, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to soup and reserve oil in skillet.
• Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside until noodles are softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Add 3/4 of the noodles to the soup. Fry the remaining rice noodles in the hot oil until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Divide soup among 6 bowls and top with fried noodles, pickled cabbage, cilantro, and lime wedges.

KHAO SOI GAI (NORTHERN THAI COCONUT-CURRY NOODLES WITH CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Make the curry paste: Bring 1/4 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dried chiles and makrut lime leaves (if using) to a small bowl; pour the boiling water on top and let steep for 10 minutes.
• While the mixture steeps, separate the cilantro leaves from the stems; set leaves and any tender stems aside for garnish. Roughly chop cilantro stems and add to a small food processor (or the bowl of a large mortar and pestle) along with the shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, curry powder, shrimp paste (if using) and lime zest.
• Add the soaked chile mixture (including its liquid) and process (or crush with a pestle) until curry paste is smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 10 minutes for either method. Curry paste can be made up to 2 weeks ahead; store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
• Prepare the fried noodles: In a medium (2-quart) saucepan, bring 3 cups neutral oil to 325 degrees over medium-high heat. Add 4 ounces noodles and fry, flipping once or twice, until light brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer noodles to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside until ready to serve. Cool, strain and store remaining oil in a covered jar for another use.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium. Add about 1/4 cup coconut cream, scraped from the top of one of the cans of coconut milk, to the pot and let it melt, about 10 seconds. Add at least half of the curry paste - or more, for a more pungent khao soi - and stir until deeply fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and the remaining coconut milk, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring mixture just to a low boil, about 3 minutes.
• Use 1 tablespoon salt to season drumsticks, then add them to the boiling curry mixture. Cover, and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover, lower heat, and add remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock along with 1 cup water. (It should be more like soup than stew.) Season to taste with fish sauce, sugar and salt. Turn heat to very low, and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt and remaining 12 ounces noodles. Cook until al dente. Drain and portion into four bowls. Add 2 drumsticks to each bowl, and about 2 cups curry broth. Garnish with fried noodles, pickled mustard greens, sliced shallots, chile paste or oil, reserved cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN KHAO SOI

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the rich coconut milk (the white, opaque part that has risen to the top) to medium heat and stir in the curry pastes. Stir-fry this mixture for about 1 minute, until the paste starts to deepen in color and is thick and fragrant. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and lime leaves. Add the cooked chicken pieces and stir to coat the pieces in the paste, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Allow this to boil for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to a strong simmer, about 10 minutes. Once the volume of liquid has evaporated by about 1/4 or the liquid coats the back of a wooden spoon, proceed.
• Next, add the fish sauce, sugar and tamarind. Finish with the chicken stock. Taste and adjust as necessary.
• To serve: Separate the noodles into 4 bowls and place a chicken leg in each. Ladle about 6 to 8 ounces of the rich broth over each noodle bowl. Garnish with crispy noodles, mustard greens, shallots, scallions and cilantro on top.
• Place the chicken leg quarters in a stock pot and cover with 8 cups cold water. Bring to a simmer. Add the galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, garlic, shallot and chiles to the stock and allow to simmer. Skim foam and fat often, continue to simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Reserve the cooked chicken legs. Skim off any additional fat and strain the stock through cheesecloth.

CHIANG MAI CURRIED NOODLES (KHAO SOI GAI)

Steps:

• First, make the pickled chilli & shallots: Put the chilli and shallots in a small bowl and pour the vinegar over. Add some salt and let it sit to pickle while you make the curry.
• In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the curry paste and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 mins, then add the curry powder and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 min more, then add the coconut milk, coconut cream, stock, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer.
• Chop the chicken into pieces and add to the curry. Cook for 15 mins or until tender.
• Boil some water in a large saucepan for the noodles. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a small wok - it's ready when a small piece of bread sizzles when dropped in. Add 75g of the noodles to the wok in 4 batches until they bubble up and go crispy. Use a wire mesh ladle or slotted spoon to remove them and drain on kitchen paper.
• Boil the remaining noodles for 2-3 mins until al dente, then drain. Divide the noodles between 4 bowls. Pour the curry over each and top with coriander, beansprouts, some drained pickled chilli & shallots, spring onions and a drizzle of chilli oil. Top with the crisp noodles and devour while it's hot.

KHAO SOI (NORTHERN CHICKEN CURRY NOODLES)

Steps:

• Place a large, heavy-bottomed casserole over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, red curry paste, curry powder, turmeric and, if you choose, cardamom. Cook for a few minutes, stirring vigorously, until the curry paste is fragrant. Be careful it doesn't burn. Add 1 cup of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes, stirring well, until red oil separates from the coconut mixture. Add 1 more cup of the coconut milk, return to a boil, and again boil until the oil separates.
• Add the chicken pieces, 1 cup chicken stock and remaining 1 cup coconut milk. If the mixture is very thick, add additional chicken stock or water as needed. Bring back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the sugar and fish sauce. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Season to taste with fish sauce; the flavor should be salty and spicy with an aftertaste of sweetness. (It should be a bit saltier than you wish for the final dish, as the addition of other ingredients at serving time will dilute the seasoning.)
• Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the remaining vegetable oil. Place 1 cup of the noodles in a bowl and separate the strands. When the oil is shimmering, add the noodles a few strands at a time. Fry them, turning once, until crisp and golden. Remove from heat and set aside. Add the dried chilies to the pan and fry for a few seconds until they puff up; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Rinse the remaining noodles in cold water, and add to the boiling water. Cook until barely tender, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring well to prevent sticking. Drain well.
• To serve, divide the noodles among 4 bowls, and top with chicken curry. Garnish with shallots, mustard greens, fried noodles and lime wedges. Add fried chilies to taste, for extra heat. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.