Chicken Khao Soi Gai (Nothern Thai Coconut-Curry Soup with Chicken)

This is a classic dish of tender braised chicken in a coconut-curry broth with boiled noodles and fried onions. What's not to adore? Although the ingredient list might seem long, this dish is actually pretty simple to prepare. The ingredients are readily available at your local market, and the creation of a simple curry paste gives this soup a surprising depth of flavor.

Chicken Khao Soi Gai (Nothern Thai Coconut-Curry Soup with Chicken)
Khao soi paste:
4 large dried New Mexico or guajillo chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded
2 medium shallots, halved
8 garlic cloves
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder 
Soup:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, halved lengthwise
12 ounces Chinese egg noodles
1 tablespoon Thai shrimp paste or fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Kosher salt
Garnishes:
Sliced red onion
Crispy fried onions
Reserved khao soi paste
Lemon wedges

To make the khao soi paste, place the dried chilies in a small bowl add pour over enough boiling water to cover the chilies. Soak until the chilies have softened, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Drain the chilies, reserving the soaking liquid. In a food processor, combine the softened chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Process until smooth, adding more soaking liquid if necessary.

To make the soup, heat the oil in a large stock pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the khao soi paste and cook until the paste has darkened slightly, about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove and reserve 1 tablespoon of the paste. Add the coconut milk and broth to the remaining paste in the pot. Bring to a boil and add the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly, reserving the coconut milk-broth mixture in the pot. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with two forks. Return the chicken to the pot and add the shrimp paste and sugar. Reduce the heat to low (let the soup simmer over low heat while you cook the noodles).
Cook the Chinese egg noodles according to the package directions.
When ready to serve, divide the noodles among four bowls. Top the noodles with the chicken and coconut-broth mixture. Garnish with the red onion, crispy fried noodles, reserved khao soi paste, and lemon wedges.

Serves 4


Photo: joephotostudio