Named after the town in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai Noodles (or khao soi), are basically fresh egg noodles with a creamy curry sauce on top. The consistency is similar to a soup and has a reddish-opaque appearance filled with bites of chicken and fresh noodles.
Many people traditionally serve Chiang Mai noodles with condiments such as raw vegetables, pickles, and other spices. This popular Thai dish can easily be made at home with a few key ingredients from the ethnic foods aisle at local grocery stores.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon diced red chile (optional)
- 2 skinless large chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1/2 chicken bouillon cube
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups Thai coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tumeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar (can use regular sugar if you do not have brown)
- Package Fresh egg noodles (can substitute other types of noodles, but preferably use fresh ones)
Garnishes:
- Fresh Cilantro (or sometimes called Coriander depending on location)
- Chopped shallots
- Chopped green onions
- Fresh lime wedges
Directions:
To prepare the curry sauce:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat
- Toss in minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds
- Add red curry paste and chopped chicken, mixing ingredients well
- Turn the heat up a notch and brown the chicken (approximately 2-3 minutes depending on size)
- Add coconut milk, bouillon cube, water, soy sauce, tumeric, sugar, and fish sauce. The reason fish sauce is optional is not all grocery stores carry it and some people cannot get over the strong odor. Although the odor is strong in the bottle, the taste and smell in the dish are not. Fish sauce does not overpower the food and really just provides a subtle enhancement to Thai dishes.
- Continue stirring until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, while bringing the saucepan to a gentle boil.
- Simmer for about 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Once cooked, cover and set aside while preparing the noodles
To prepare the noodles:
- Take fresh noodles and dump into a saucepan of boiling water
- Boil for about 2-3 minutes and they should be done. If you cannot find fresh noodles in the store, you can substitute for some type of dried noodles but they must be soaked for about 15-20 minutes ahead of time.
- Drain the noodles and immediately rinse with cold water
To prepare the noodle garnish:
- Set aside some strands of the freshly cooked noodles
- Heat the last tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet
- Separate the noodle strands into two bunches and drop them into the skillet
- Fry noodle bunches until crispy
- Remove from skillet and set aside on a paper towel
Plating:
- Take the regularly cooked egg noodles and divide them into individual bowls. For those watching carbs, just use smaller portions of noodles
- Pour curry sauce over noodles in each bowl
- Add crispy dried noodles to top of each one
- Garnish with shallots, cilantro, green onion, squeeze lime juice and serve
Chiang Mai noodles is a great one dish meal and can be served with a great Thai beer, like Chiang or Singha. Or pair this dish with a nice bottle of white wine. Try a German or Aslatian white wine that has a hint of sweetness, as it will help cut the spicy element of this dish.
 |
 |
 |
