Thai Chiang Mai Noodles Recipes

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.

CHIANG MAI CURRY NOODLES (KAO SOI)

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then add the garlic. Toss well and add the red curry paste, mashing and stirring to soften it in the oil, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing now and then to brown it evenly and mix it with the curry paste.
• Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, turmeric, soy sauce, sugar and salt and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil and adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook about 10 minutes until meat is cooked through.
• Stir in lime juice, remove from heat and cover to keep curry warm while you prepare the noodles.
• Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water until tender but still firm, as little as 2 minutes for fresh noodles and 7 minutes or more for dried. Drain, rinse well in cold water, drain again and divide the noodles among individual serving bowls. Ladle on hot curry, and sprinkle each serving with the shallots, cilantro and green onions. Serve hot and garnish with crunchy noodle nests as noted in description if using.

CHIANG MAI NOODLE BEEF KHAO SOI

Steps:

• Remove excess fat from beef short rib. With a pairing knife, slice beef into large chunks.
• In a dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium high. Add beef short rib chunks with tongs and brown in oil on both sides, 2-3 minutes. It's easiest to do this in batches, removing browned meat and placing in a separate bowl until all of the beef has been seared.
• Add red curry paste to the saucepan and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 mins, then add the Indian curry powder, turmeric and sliced red chili.
• Cook for 1 minute then add coconut milk, coconut cream, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, tamarind paste, beef stock, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer.
• Return the seared beef back to the pot filled with Chiang Mai Noodle Kao Soi curry sauce.
• Keep the broth at a simmer over low heat and cover with a heavy lid, and cook for 2 hours, until the beef chunks are extremely tender and some oil has started to separate from the broth, floating to the surface.
• During the braising process, if the liquid level has reduced too much, add more water or beef stock to bring it back to the original level.
• While beef short rib is tenderizing in the coconut curry sauce, add 2 inches of canola oil to a large wok. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it bubbles.
• Separate the fresh egg noodles into segments, then fry 3 oz until golden brown and crispy. Drain well and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the remaining flat egg noodles until soft and cooked through, drain well and set aside.
• Assembly: Add a small handful of cooked egg noodles into the bottom of a large soup bowl. Ladle the Kao Soi curry sauce along with chunks of beef over the noodles. Garnish Chiang Mai Noodle bowl with crispy fried egg noodles, sliced shallots, chopped cilantro, bean sprouts and lime wedges. Serve with soup spoon and chopsticks.

CHIANG MAI CURRY NOODLES

Steps:

• heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat, and then add garlic. toss well and add red curry paste, mashing and stirring to soften it in the oil, about 1 minute add chicken and cook 1-2 min, tossing now and then to brown it evenly and mix it with curry paste. add coconut milk, chicken broth, turmeric or curry powder, soy sauce, sugar, and salt and stir well. bring to gentle boil and adjust heat to maintain lively simmer. cook about 10 min, until meat is cooked through. stir in lime juice, remove from heat, and cover to keep curry warm.
• cook noodles in large pot of rapidly boiling water, until tender but still firm, as little as 2 minutes for fresh chinese noodles. drain, rinse well in cold water, drain again, and divide the noodles among individual serving bowls. ladle on hot curry and sprinkle each serving bowl with shallots, cilantro, and green onions. serve hot.

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.