Khao soy (sometimes spelled khao soi) is one of Chiang Mai’s most famous dishes. The combination of flavors and textures—creamy curry sauce and silky egg noodles married with the flavorful crunch of pickled mustard and crispy fried noodles, all given an awakening hit of fresh, zingy lime—is magical. Black cardamom pods are roasted over a wood fire to give them incredible smoky flavor.
This recipe was excerpted from 'True Thai' by Hong Thaimee. Buy the full book on Amazon.
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What you’ll need
Red Thai Chiles
$10 At Amazon
Black Cardamom Pods
$10 At Amazon
Palm Sugar
$7 At Amazon
Thai Chile Powder
$8 At Amazon
Ingredients
For the Khao Soy Paste
For the chile oil
For the soup
Preparation
Make the Khao Soy Paste
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap the shallots and ginger together in aluminum foil, place directly on an oven rack, and roast for 10 minutes, or until softened. Remove from the foil and cool completely.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place the dried chiles in a bowl and add warm water to cover. Leave to soften for about 15 minutes. Wearing kitchen gloves (do not use bare hands when working with chiles), remove the chiles from the water and squeeze out excess water.
Step 3
Using a mortar and pestle, mash the chiles with the shallots, ginger, salt, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric into a smooth paste, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, process the ingredients together with 1 cup coconut milk in a food processor until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
Make the chile oil
Step 4
In a small skillet, combine the oil and chile powder over medium heat until well blended. Add the salt and cook, stirring, until the salt dissolves, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Make the soup
Step 5
Place the noodles on a large baking sheet pan and pull them apart so they don’t stick together in the pot. Divide the noodles into a 4-cup portion and a 2-cup portion.
Step 6
In a large pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil over high heat. Add 4 cups of the noodles and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Toss with the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil to keep the noodles from sticking.
Step 7
Skim 2 tablespoons coconut cream from the top of one of the cans of coconut milk and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the kao soy paste with the 2 tablespoons coconut cream, place over medium heat, and cook until the color intensifies, about 3 minutes.
Step 8
Add the chicken skin side down and cook until the skin browns, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the fish sauce and sugar. Simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce thickens.
Step 9
As the chicken cooks, with the remaining 2 cups noodles, use your hands to form four ½-cup-size nests. Pour the remaining 1 quart vegetable oil into a large pot or wide sauté pan deep enough for the oil to cover the noodles. Place over high heat and bring to 375°F. Add the nests of noodles and fry over high heat until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain the excess oil.
Step 10
To serve, spoon some boiled noodles into each of four bowls, top with a ladle of curry and a piece of chicken, and finish with a nest of fried noodles. Serve with chile oil, pickled mustard, lime wedges, and thinly sliced shallots.
