Thai Khao Soi with Egg Noodles
Khao soi is a dish from northern Thailand: soft noodles in a coconut milk curry broth with chicken, topped with crispy fried noodles, pickles, red onion and lime. The contrast between soft and crisp is the whole idea of the dish.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Calories
- 620
Photo: Rushen — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Outside Thailand, khao soi is less famous than pad thai, and that is unfair — it is one of the richest dishes in Thai cooking, with clear Burmese and Chinese influences. Its layers of texture make every spoonful different from the last.
Method
-
1
Cracking the coconut milk
Pour 200 ml of the thick part from the top of the coconut milk tin into a pot and heat it over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, without stirring much, until the oil separates and you see a glossy layer of fat. This is a key Thai step called “cracking” the cream.
-
2
Frying the curry paste
Add the curry paste, curry powder and turmeric to the separated oil and stir for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until the smell is strong and the colour darkens. Frying in that fat releases the aromatic oils in the spices.
-
3
The chicken
Add the chicken thighs and turn them in the paste for 5 minutes until fully coated and starting to take on the colour. Bone-in chicken is best — the bones give the broth body and depth.
-
4
The broth
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the stock, and add the fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked and falling off the bone. Taste and adjust: you should get sweet, salty and sour together.
-
5
The crispy noodles
Heat the oil to 180°C and fry 100 g of raw noodles in small batches — they puff up and crisp in 20–30 seconds. Drain them on a wire rack straight away. This is the layer that gives the dish its character.
-
6
Cooking the noodles
Cook the soft noodles according to the packet (about 3 minutes), then drain them and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking. Put them straight into the bowls just before serving.
-
7
Assembling
Put the noodles in the bottom of the bowl, ladle the hot broth and chicken over them, then add the crispy noodles on top. Put the red onion, pickles, coriander and half a lime on the side.
-
8
Eating
Squeeze the lime just before eating — the acidity lifts the rich broth. Everyone adds pickles and onion to taste. Serve at once so the crispy noodles stay crisp.
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Tips that actually matter
- Crack the coconut milk until the oil separates before adding the paste — that is the key step.
- Full-fat coconut milk only; light versions won’t release any oil.
- The crispy noodles need only 20–30 seconds — they burn quickly.
- Assemble the bowls at the moment of serving so the crisp stays crisp.
- The lime and pickles aren’t garnish — they balance the richness.
People also ask
What can I use instead of red curry paste?
Massaman or even panang curry paste. Or make your own: blend soaked dried red chillies with red onion, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, coriander and cumin. Ready-made paste is very practical and gives an excellent result.
Why didn’t the coconut milk separate?
Because it was low-fat or had too many emulsifiers. Use full-fat tins without emulsifiers, and put the tin in the fridge overnight so the thick part rises to the top — use that thick part in the first step.
Can I make it with beef?
Yes — cubed beef works, but it needs an hour and a half of simmering instead of 25 minutes. A vegetarian version with fried tofu and mushrooms works too; replace the fish sauce with soy sauce.
Can I make the broth a day ahead?
Yes, and it tastes better. Make the broth and chicken the day before and reheat it gently. But cook the noodles and fry the crispy ones at the moment of serving — cooked noodles soak up the broth and swell, and the crispy ones go soft.
Cook mode
Thai Khao Soi with Egg Noodles
-
1
Cracking the coconut milk
Pour 200 ml of the thick part from the top of the coconut milk tin into a pot and heat it over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, without stirring much, until the oil separates and you see a glossy layer of fat. This is a key Thai step called “cracking” the cream.
-
2
Frying the curry paste
Add the curry paste, curry powder and turmeric to the separated oil and stir for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until the smell is strong and the colour darkens. Frying in that fat releases the aromatic oils in the spices.
-
3
The chicken
Add the chicken thighs and turn them in the paste for 5 minutes until fully coated and starting to take on the colour. Bone-in chicken is best — the bones give the broth body and depth.
-
4
The broth
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the stock, and add the fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked and falling off the bone. Taste and adjust: you should get sweet, salty and sour together.
-
5
The crispy noodles
Heat the oil to 180°C and fry 100 g of raw noodles in small batches — they puff up and crisp in 20–30 seconds. Drain them on a wire rack straight away. This is the layer that gives the dish its character.
-
6
Cooking the noodles
Cook the soft noodles according to the packet (about 3 minutes), then drain them and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking. Put them straight into the bowls just before serving.
-
7
Assembling
Put the noodles in the bottom of the bowl, ladle the hot broth and chicken over them, then add the crispy noodles on top. Put the red onion, pickles, coriander and half a lime on the side.
-
8
Eating
Squeeze the lime just before eating — the acidity lifts the rich broth. Everyone adds pickles and onion to taste. Serve at once so the crispy noodles stay crisp.
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