Khao soi is a fragrant coconut milk based soup that’s popular in Southeast Asia, hailing from Myanmar and Northern Thailand. Sometimes also spelt as khow suey, khow soi, or khao suey, this is one of those recipes that has a hundred variations which all have one thing in common — incredible flavour! Slurpy noodles coated with a golden coconutty curry served with crunchy and herby toppings makes for the ideal dinner at home, specially as it’s rainy and windy outside amid the spring showers.
The curry paste is what makes each version unique, and this one is so easy to whip up with just a few pantry ingredients. This recipe leans heavily on the Burmese influence, which means the paste is made with a lot of Indian spices that are easily available in most pantries. If you’re pressed for time or in a pinch, you can also substitute the homemade curry paste with store bought red Thai curry paste.
Flavourful, fast, and easy, this is one of those recipes that will make it to a heavy rotation in your meal plan. The main recipe is vegan, and you can include some protein if you wish — chicken, beef, or tofu for a vegan option. The veggies are basic: onions, carrots, beans, and some zucchini if you have any. Use whatever veggies you have in your fridge (great for when you want to use up odd bits and bobs).
The golden, curried, silky coconut broth coats the rice noodles beautifully, but the best part about this soup are the toppings. Seriously, whatever you do, don’t skimp on the toppings. We used
crispy fried shallots, golden browned to perfection
crispy fried garlic bits
crushed peanuts
chopped coriander
spring onions
chilli flakes
and finished with a generous squeeze of lime to balance and round out all the flavours.
You might think that the garnishes are extra, or if you really need to have so many? But trust me, each of those crispy crunchy herby elements add so much texture and flavour to the dish, they’re worth every bit of effort. Few versions also add fried noodles on top, but in my opinion, the crunch from the nuts and fried shallots is enough so that you don’t require the noodles.
Serve this up build-your-own bowl style. Divide the cooked noodles into bowls and top with the khao soi curry, and let everyone garnish their own bowls with toppings as they desire. Don’t forget that squeeze of lime!
- 3-4 dried red chilli (Kashmiri or other), rehydrated in hot water for 15 minutes
- 1 medium sized onion, roughly chopped
- 6-8 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 3 heaped teaspoons chickpea flour
- 1- 1.5 cups water
- 2-3 stalks green onions, white parts only, finely chopped
- 1 cup diced veggies — mix of carrots, beans, zucchini
- 600ml coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar/jaggery or regular sugar
- Salt, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
- Boiled rice noodles (substitute with wheat noodles, spaghetti or linguini)
- Garnishes: green onions, crispy fried shallots, fried garlic, crushed peanuts, chopped coriander leaves, red chilli flakes, lime juice
- Add all the ingredients for the khao soi paste in a food processor or mixer/grinder and grind until it forms a smooth paste. You can add a tablespoon or two of water to help the paste come together.
- Heat the neutral oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 4-6 minutes, until the paste takes on some colour.
- Add the chickpea flour and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add 1 to 1.5 cups water and whisk fast and well, until no lumps remain and the mix is smooth.
- Tip in the diced veggies into the wok and sauté for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and a splash of soy sauce and bring the curry to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for another 5-7 minutes. Season with sugar + salt. Taste curry and adjust seasoning. Turn off the heat and finish with a squeeze of lime to balance out the flavours in the curry. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice as per liking.
- To serve, divide the rice noodles/spaghetti among bowls. Top with a generous amount of the khao soi curry, and garnish with crispy fried shallots, fried garlic, green onions, crushed peanuts, chopped coriander, red chilli flakes and a squeeze of lime.
If you liked this recipe, you might also like: Vegan Tom Kha Soup, Spiced Lentil Soup, Korean Curry, Ramen, and Curry Laksa.
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