Thai. Main. Served at The Inauguration (#1).

Khao soi

Northern Thai curry noodle soup

Khao soi is a Northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup with tender chicken, fresh egg noodles, and crispy fried noodles. Pickled mustard greens, raw shallot, and lime balance the rich broth.

The curry paste combines toasted spices with charred ginger and shallots. Simmer it with coconut milk and chicken until the meat is tender.

You can use drumsticks or boneless thighs. Thighs are easier to eat with chopsticks. The notes cover each.

Makes
Serves 10
Time
Paste a day ahead; the broth simmers 40 to 50 minutes
Do ahead
Make the curry paste a day ahead.

Ingredients

Scale

Curry paste

  • 5black cardamom pods
  • 3.75 tbspcoriander seeds
  • 1.875 ozginger, thinly sliced
  • 2.5 tspturmeric powder, in place of fresh
  • 1.25 cupsshallots, sliced
  • 1.875 ozmild dried chilies (guajillo or puya)
  • 2.5 tspcoarse salt

Broth

  • 3.75 cupscoconut milk (about 2 cans)
  • 20chicken drumsticks, or 3–3.5 lb boneless skin-on thighs
  • 7.5 cupswater
  • 7.5 tbspsoy sauce
  • 2.5 tbspblack soy sauce
  • 5–7.5 tspfish sauce, to taste
  • 2.5 tbsppalm sugar
  • 30 ozfresh flat egg noodles (wonton noodles)

Condiments

  • 2–3limes, wedges
  • ⅔ cupchopped shallots or red onion
  • 1.25 cupschopped pickled mustard greens
  • fried chili flakes
  • cilantro and/or green onions

Method

  1. Smash the cardamom pods and take out the seeds. Toast the seeds with the coriander until fragrant.
  2. Char the ginger 2 to 3 minutes a side. Char the shallots until spotted.
  3. Cut the chilies open, remove the stems and seeds, and grind them with the toasted spices.
  4. Pound the ginger to a paste, add the shallots and salt, and pound smooth. Mix in the ground spices and turmeric.
  5. Bring 1.25 cups of the coconut milk to a boil. Add the paste and stir until it thickens and the oil sizzles at the edges.
  6. Add the remaining coconut milk, the water, both soy sauces, the palm sugar and the chicken.
  7. Simmer gently 40 to 50 minutes, until the chicken is fork-tender. Do not boil hard.
  8. Adjust with fish sauce. The broth should be well seasoned.
  9. Reserve about 7 oz of the noodles for frying. Cut them to 4" and shake off the flour. Fry at 350°F in small batches until golden and the bubbling stops.
  10. Boil the rest of the noodles about 3 minutes. Toss with a little oil.
  11. Put noodles in each bowl, then 1 or 2 drumsticks or a sliced thigh, a ladle of broth, a pile of crispy noodles and cilantro. Put the condiments out so everyone adds their own.

Notes

  • If you use drumsticks, brine them 1 to 2 hours first (¼ cup salt and 2 tbsp sugar in 4 cups water) and pat dry. Keep the simmer low, then rest them in the broth 10 to 15 minutes off the heat.
  • If you use thighs, braise them whole 25 to 30 minutes and slice before serving.
  • The broth holds. Assemble the bowls when you're ready to eat.