Name: Khao Soi: Northern Thai Curry Noodle Soup
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 pods black cardamom; 1.5 Tbsp coriander seeds; 0.75 oz ginger (thinly sliced); 1.5 inch fresh turmeric (about 5 g) (thinly sliced, or sub 1 tsp ground turmeric); ½ cup shallots (sliced ¼-inch thick); 0.75 oz mild dried chilies (such as guajillo or puya); 1 tsp coarse salt; 1 batch khao soi curry paste (from above); 1 ½ cups coconut milk (plus extra for drizzling, if desired (see note 2)); 8 pieces chicken drumsticks; 3 cups water; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon black soy sauce; 2-3 teaspoons fish sauce (optional, as needed); 1 tablespoon palm sugar (finely chopped, packed, or sub brown sugar); 12 oz flat fresh egg noodles (also known as wonton noodles) (divided); Chopped cilantro and/or green onions for garnish (optional); 1 lime (cut into wedges); ¼ cup chopped shallots or red onion; ½ cup chopped pickled mustard greens; Fried chili flakes (to taste (instructions below)); Neutral frying oil, for the crispy noodles; Neutral oil, as needed for the fried chilli flakes

Method

22 steps

For the Curry Paste
Smash the cardamom pods with a pestle or something heavy and take out the seeds; place the seeds into a medium dry skillet. Add the coriander seeds and toast over high heat, moving them constantly, until the coriander seeds darken slightly. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet over high heat, place the ginger and turmeric slices down and let them sear until they're slightly charred, this will take 2-3 minutes. Then flip and char the other side and remove from the pan. (See video for what all this charring should look like.)
In the same skillet over high heat, place the sliced shallots and let them sear until charred spots form; this will take just a few seconds. Then stir the shallots and let them char a bit more, then remove from the pan.
Remove the stems from dried chilies and use scissors to cut them into chunks, pouring out the seeds as you cut them, but no need to get every seed out. Add the chilies to a coffee/spice grinder along with the black cardamom and coriander seeds and grind into a powder, remove and set aside.
Pound the charred ginger and turmeric into a fine paste. Add the shallots and coarse salt and continue pounding. Gradually incorporate the ground spices and pound until evenly combined.
For the Curry Broth
In a medium pot, add ½ cup (120 ml) of the coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir to dissolve, then keep stirring for a few minutes until the mixture is very thick and coconut oil starts to sizzle around the edges of the paste. (If the paste is very thick and the coconut oil has not sizzled, this is okay, you can move on.)
Add the remaining coconut milk, water, soy sauce, black soy sauce, palm sugar and chicken drumsticks. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
Once the chicken is done, taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or salt if needed (I love adding fish sauce). Remember to make the broth strongly seasoned as it will be diluted slightly once noodles are added. If it has become salty from reducing too much, you can simply add more water.
For the Crispy Fried Noodles
Take 3 oz (85 g) of the noodles for frying. Loosen them and shake off excess flour, then use scissors to cut them a few times so they are about 4 inches long.
Heat about 2" of frying oil in a wide pot or wok to 350°F (175 °C).
Add the noodles to the hot oil in small batches. Press them down carefully and fry until golden and crisp and the bubbling has nearly stopped. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining noodles.
For the Fried Chili Flakes (if using)
Add any amount of spicy chili flakes to a small pot and add just enough neutral flavoured oil so the chili flakes look like wet sand.
Turn the heat on medium low and keep stirring until the chilies start to darken and smell smoky - just a few minutes. Transfer into a small bowl immediately to stop the cooking.
Bring a large pot of water to a full boil on high heat. Meanwhile, loosen the noodles and shake off any excess flour.
Once the water is boiling, add the noodles and cook until they are done - this will vary from brand to brand so if you're not sure, keep checking them every minute or so. (As a reference, the flat wonton noodles shown in the video take 3 minutes.)
While the noodles are cooking, and if you're cooking multiple servings, prepare a mixing bowl for the cooked noodles to go into, and add about a tablespoon of oil into the bowl to help noodles separate. (If you have garlic oil, this is a great place to use it!)
Use a slotted skimmer to fish the noodles out, shake off excess water, and add them into your bowl with oil. Toss the noodles in the oil, then divide the noodles into serving bowls.
Place 1 to 2 chicken drumsticks into each bowl, then ladle the hot curry broth over them - the broth is quite rich so you don't need much broth. For an extra flare, drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk on top which will make it look prettier and adds a little more richness. Top with a handful of the crunchy noodles and some chopped cilantro if desired, then serve immediately with all the condiments.