# 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.

**Thai Cuisine · 60 min · 4 servings · 620 kcal per serving**

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.

## Ingredients

- 400 g — flat egg noodles
- 100 g — extra egg noodles (for frying)
- 700 g — bone-in chicken thighs
- 600 ml — full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tbsp — red curry paste
- 1 tbsp — curry powder
- 0.5 tsp — turmeric
- 2 tbsp — fish sauce
- 1 tbsp — brown sugar
- 400 ml — chicken stock
- 1 — red onion, sliced, to serve
- 100 g — pickled cabbage or cucumber, to serve
- 2 — limes
- 1 bunch — coriander
- 400 ml — oil for frying

## 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.

## Tips

- 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

---

Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/thai-cuisine/thai-khao-soi-curry-noodles
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-23