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

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

FAQs

What is the signature dish of khao soi? ›

Khao Soi is one of Thailand's most famous dishes. It features noodles cooked in a rich, creamy coconut milk based red curry with either chicken or beef. The dish is topped with crispy noodles, lime, shallots, chilis, and pickled cabbage. The spice levels of Khao Soi vary based on how much curry paste is added.

Is khao soi Thai or Burmese food? ›

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

What are the different types of khao soi? ›

Different variants of khao soi that are made without any coconut milk and with rice noodles instead of egg noodles are mainly eaten in the eastern half of northern Thailand. Shan khao soi (Shan: ၶဝ်ႈသွႆးတႆး; Burmese: ရှမ်းခေါက်ဆွဲ) is featured in the cuisine of the Shan people who primarily live in Burma.

What country is khao soi from? ›

Khao Soi is a deliciously rich, creamy, slightly spicy yellow curry dish originating in Northern Thailand. This classic Northern Thai soup will satisfy your craving for a Thai curry dish combined with tender braised meat (chicken, beef are favorites) in a coconut curry broth with boiled and fried noodles.

Is khao soi Lao or Thai? ›

Khao Soi is a dish that takes a wide array of forms across Northern Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.

Is khao soi red or yellow curry? ›

It's a dish which combines common Thai ingredients and flavours such as shallots, lemons (or limes), red curry paste or ground chillies in oil with meat into a curry-like soupy sauce, served on egg noodles and topped with crispy fried egg noodles.

Is Laksa the same as khao soi? ›

Laksa and Khao Soi are Southeast Asian noodle soups, but they differ in flavors and ingredients. Laksa, commonly found in Malaysia and Singapore, is usually spicier and includes a variety of seafood or chicken. Its broth can range from spicy and creamy to slightly sour, often flavored with tamarind.

What does khao mean in Thai? ›

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 is khao soi Thai in English? ›

In Thai, khao soi literally means sliced or julienned rice which likely refers to the noodle component of the dish. This shouldn't be confused with the Thai word for noodles which is actually kuay tiew and comes from the Chinese (Chaozhou or Teochew) word for noodles.

Is khao soi better with chicken or beef? ›

In my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Thai', I featured a recipe for khao soi with chicken. It's a good one but Thai beef khao soi is just as delicious. It does take a little longer to make though as that beef needs to be super tender before serving.

Does khao soi have MSG? ›

You may be able to find a Khao Soi spice mix packet in your local Asisn grocery store, however these packets often contain MSG (monosodium glutamate) and other dangerous ingredients.

Is khao soi the same as Chiang Mai? ›

Khao soi – a well-known (and much loved) Northern Thai curry – is synonymous with Chiang Mai and can be found all over town in various guises.

What does soi mean in Thai? ›

Soi, meaning "street" in Thai, refers to the streets that run off Sukhumvit, a major artery in the city. Sukhumvit is also home to one of the BTS lines.

Does khao soi have milk? ›

Khao Soi is a spicy, curried, thick broth that's served over a bed of egg noodles, with flavor enhancing accoutrements such as pickled mustard, a squeeze of lime and freshly sliced shallots. It's made with coconut milk, which really adds a creamy balance to the curried base.

What is the signature dish of Thailand? ›

Pad Thai is one of Thailand's most recognized dishes. Fistfuls of small, thin or wide noodles, along with crunchy beansprouts, onion, and egg are stir-fried in a searing hot wok. The dish is also flavored with condiments such as fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chilli, and palm sugar.

What is the national dish of Thailand? ›

Pad thai is a national dish of Thailand loved so much worldwide that has made it into the online Oxford Dictionary since 2022, gaining the same international status as the words “sushi” and “pizza.” Under the category Food C2 the website Oxford Learner's Dictionaries defines “pad thai” as “A dish from Thailand made ...

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