global recipe swap: Khao Soi recipe | globalhelpswap (2024)

by Paul Farrugia

global recipe swap

Welcome to our new series! One of the biggest joys we get from travel is discovering new foods. Some would say (Karen) it’s THE BIGGEST joy we get. I have lost count of the number of times we have walked across a city to find the hidden gem some local has told us about.

And yet, we have hardly talked about our food experiences on this site. Well, that is about to change. The idea behind global recipe swap is simple. We will write about all the amazing food we have come across on our travels and you will send us recipes from your area, which we will then cook. We have a diverse readership so we should have some pretty amazing food experiences. You can try to cook what we publish too. Does that sound like fun?

Right, let’s dig in!

Khao Soi Recipe

You know when someone asks you what’s your favourite album/place/food. Don’t you find that it’s almost an impossible question to answer? There is too much great music/places/food to choose just one. So I create a top 10 in my head. The choices change all the time but it has to be pretty special to enter the top 10.

Khao Soi is one of those special entries. I still remember the first time I had it in Pai, Northern Thailand. It was in a cheap roadside cafe on the corner of a junction. It was a great place for people-watching. I think the dish cost me around $3. When the old lady brought it to me, I knew I was in for a treat before even eating it. The aromas wafting up shouted South East Asia. I think I must have eaten it every 2 days.

The recipe below is from the renowned chef David Thompsonwho has one of the most respected restaurants in Thailand.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

For the paste:

  • 3 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and drained
  • 4red shallots, unpeeled
  • 3garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 2 sprigs of fresh coriander, roots scraped and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seed, roasted and ground
  • 1 pinch salt

For the soup:

  • 4 tablespoons coconut cream
  • 1 chicken leg, quartered (100 grams or 3 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 2 cups stock (or water)
  • 75g fresh egg noodles (recipe says 1 handful)

To garnish:

  • 1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 200°C.

To make the paste.

Roast the chillies, shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger until softened. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, peel the shallots and garlic. Then pound the roasted ingredients together (using a mortar and pestle) until smooth.

To make the soup.

Simmer the coconut cream until it is thick and beginning to separate. Then add the paste and fry until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken, reduce the heat and simmer for several minutes.

Add the palm sugar, the two soy sauces and finally the stock. Stir well and then keep simmering until the chicken is cooked about 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, fry one-quarter of the egg noodles in hot oil, and drain.

Check the seasoning: the soup should taste salty and slightly sweet from the coconut cream.

Blanch three-quarters of the egg noodles in boiling water, and drain.

Put blanched noodles in a bowl, pour over the soup and add garnishes.

Can also serve with sliced red shallots. wedges of lime, pickled mustard greens.

If you would like to take part in global recipe swap, please send us a special dish from your area and we will try to cook it at home. You can send the recipe to paul@globalhelpswap.com. Feel free to cook today’s recipe and let us know what you think in the comments below.

#LoveYourTravels

global recipe swap: Khao Soi recipe | globalhelpswap (5)

Paul Farrugia

globalhelpswap.com/

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global recipe swap: Khao Soi recipe | globalhelpswap (2024)

FAQs

What is the signature dish of Khao Soi? ›

Khao soi ข้าวซอย is a northern Thai noodle soup that uses wheat-based egg noodles and is served in a coconut milk curry broth. It's typically made with chicken or beef, and the bowl is topped with crispy deep fried noodles.

What does Khao Soi taste like? ›

Khao Soi is a Northern Thai street food, and is also served in Burma. The ingredients are familiarly Thai, but with the addition of egg noodles and curry powder to showcase the Burmese influence. The flavor is rich and savory, and punctuated by seasoning of fish sauce, lime, and just a little bit of sugar.

How do you eat Khao Soi? ›

Khao Soi is traditionally eaten with chopsticks (as noodle dishes are in Thailand) and a large soup spoon. You can find it most anywhere throughout Thailand, but the best can be surely found up north in Chiang Mai at a variety of different restaurants and food stalls.

What does khao soi mean in English? ›

The name means "cut rice" and is derived from the Tai-Kadai language family. In Myanmar, it is known as "khao swè", an adaptation of the original name.

What does Khao mean in Thai? ›

Khao (Thai: เขา, pronounced [kʰǎw]), the term for 'mountain' in Central and Southern Thailand; see List of mountains in Thailand. Khao (Thai: ข้าว, pronounced [kʰâːw]), the term for 'rice' in the Thai and Lao languages; see Rice production in Thailand and Rice production in Laos.

What does khao soi mean in Thai? ›

It's typically made with chicken or beef and served on top of egg noodles, fried crispy noodles, pickled mustard greens, and lime. In Thai, khao soi literally means sliced or julienned rice which likely refers to the noodle component of the dish.

Is khao soi Thai or Burmese food? ›

Khao Soi is a Burmese-influenced dish in Northern Thailand.

Where is khao soi from originally? ›

Khao soi is a traditional Thai dish that originates from the northern region of Thailand, specifically from the city of Chiang Mai. It is a type of curry noodle soup made with egg noodles, a rich coconut milk-based broth, and a variety of meats such as chicken or beef.

Does khao soi have milk? ›

In addition to the fish sauce and fresh aromatics, Khao Soi also contains coconut milk, whose rich sweetness runs throughout the broth, just doing all sorts of work to help balance the strong flavors of garlic, onion, fish sauce, and chilies.

Why is khao soi famous? ›

Khao soi owes its origins to a mixture of influences dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The dish is believed to have evolved from Chinese Muslim traders who plied the spice route when what is now modern-day northern Thailand was under the control of the Burmese.

Is khao soi chicken or pork? ›

Khao soi curry can be made with lamb or pork, but is most often served with chicken (usually a leg or two) and egg noodles. The main thing that sets one khao soi apart from another is whether the sauce is predominantly a thicker coconut milk base or whether it has been watered down somewhat thinner.

Why is Khao Soi famous? ›

Khao soi owes its origins to a mixture of influences dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The dish is believed to have evolved from Chinese Muslim traders who plied the spice route when what is now modern-day northern Thailand was under the control of the Burmese.

What is Khao Soi made of? ›

It's typically made with chicken or beef and served on top of egg noodles, fried crispy noodles, pickled mustard greens, and lime. In Thai, khao soi literally means sliced or julienned rice which likely refers to the noodle component of the dish.

What is the most eaten dish in Thailand? ›

Pad Thai. Pad Thai is perhaps the most famous of all Thai dishes, and one of the few that actually has the word 'Thai' in its name! Pad Thai is a dish consisting of stir-fried noodles, vegetables, and eggs.

What is the national dish of Thailand? ›

Pad thai ,a national dish of Thailand, is so well-liked around the world that that it has been included in the online Oxford Dictionary since 2022.

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