Chiang Mai Noodles (Khao Soi)

Chiang Mai is a wonderful town, approximately 400 miles north of Bangkok. Its a really fantastic place, with milder weather than Bangkok and very tasty food. The food is influenced by Chiang Mai's proximity to Laos to the east and Burma to the north. The food is quite different from the usual fare you would find in Bangkok or southern Thailand.  It sure is tasty!

One of the best things I had when I was in Chiang Mai was this noodle dish. Its fantastic! Thick noodles are added to a curry, but somehow "curry and noodles" doesn't really do justice to this meal! I was lucky enough to take a cooking class in Chiang Mai and we made this version of it. Its really tasty! Note the Burmese influence with the curry powder and turmeric.

If making noodles from scratch is too much work, try and purchase fresh egg noodles. I usually find them at a Chinese store in Oakland's Chinatown. You can also look for them at Asian supermarkets like Ranch 99. If you have the freezer space, but a bunch of them and store them in your freezer. You can add them to boiling water frozen and they will turn out just fine!


Ingredients
Vegetable Oil
2 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2 tablespoons curry powder
.5 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound chicken or beef, cubed
3 cups homemade chicken stock
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 lbs fresh Chinese style egg noodles
1 potato, cubed (optional)
1 can straw mushrooms, drained (optional)

Garnish
10 fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped

Add oil to wok and slosh it around so the oil covers the wok thinly over moderate heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Stir fry for 20 seconds.

Add the curry paste, curry powder and tumeric.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.








Add the chicken or beef, chicken stock coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the meat is cooked through, soft and tender.

In the meantime, prepare the noodles. Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Shake the noodles loose and drop into the boiling water. Cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.

Mix the noodles in the wok and serve in large Ramen bowls. Alternatively, add the cooked noodles to the Ramen bowls, and pour the curry over them.

Pin It