Khao Soi

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Khao Soi – Khao Soi is a very popular Northern Thai dish with roots in Myanmar. It is usually made with chicken that is stewed in a rich coconut curry broth, served over egg noodles. Khao Soi combines elements from the flavor profiles of both red and yellow curry to create a complexly flavorful and satisfying dish. The main part of the dish is stewed for a while and then served with fresh cilantro, sliced shallot, green onions, lime wedges and homemade pickles which all play a necessary role in making this dish a complete taste sensation. It is healthy comfort food at its best. The first time you make this Khao Soi recipe it will take a bit longer because you will need to mix up the unique spice mixture and make the pickles. However, these steps can be done several days in advance if you like. The spice mixture for the Khao Soi will be enough for at least three preparations of the dish, so you will not need to whip up this spice mix very often. 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. I try to avoid using commercial spice packets and am blessed with a diverse and well stocked spice cabinet, so with a bit of creativity and experimentation, I was able to create a Khao Soi spice mixture from scratch that is not only delicious, but it is much healthier for you and your family. My kids adore this dish, and request it often. Khao Soi is super satisfying and contains healthy middle chain fatty acids from the coconut milk, which are not only good for your waistline, they are good for your brain too. If you would like to keep the dish low carb, you can enjoy the Khao Soi over thin zucchini noodles instead of egg noodles. In order to make it gluten free & lectin free, use Korean sweet potato glass noodles. I often serve it this way and it is very tasty. Please see my recipe for Low Carb Mediterranean Pasta Salad for instructions on making zucchini noodles. There is a link in the notes section of this Khao Soi recipe. – For the main dish: free range chicken breasts (boneless & skinless. Chopped), unsweetened coconut milk, hot water, Khao Soi Spice Mixture ((recipe below)), Avocado oil, fish sauce ((make sure you purchase MSG free fish sauce)), tamari or coconut aminos ((gluten free or soy free soy sauce)), Garlic (sliced), Himalayan pink salt, fresh ginger root (peeled and chopped), coconut sugar ((optional but does help the overall flavor)), cardamom pods or 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, package (sweet potato glass noodles or 2 large zucchini (see recipe notes)), ground turmeric, For the toppings: fresh cilantro (chopped), green onions (green parts only, thinly sliced), shallots (thinly sliced), limes (sliced into wedges), homemade pickles ((see recipe below)), For the Khao Soi spice mix : ground hot red pepper ( such as cayenne pepper), ground cumin, ground coriander, ground nutmeg (freshly ground if possible), ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, powdered mustard ((ground mustard seed)), Sweet Paprika, Smoked Paprika, ground turmeric, For the pickles: cucumbers or kohlrabi (very thinly sliced, skin left on), Thai red chili pepper (thinly sliced (you can use the whole chili if you like spicy)), ground ginger, fresh ginger root (peeled and thinly sliced), coriander seeds, rice vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, honey (preferably raw and local), sea salt or himalayan pink salt, , For the Kao Soi Spice Mix: Measure all of the spices for the Khao Soi spice mix into a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside. ; For the pickles: Using a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife, slice the cucumbers or kohlrabi, ginger and red Thai chili into very thin slices. Transfer all of these ingredients to a small bowl. Then add the rice vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and coriander seeds.; Stir all the ingredients together, cover and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. These pickles can be made up to 5 days in advance if kept refrigerated. ; For the main dish: Set a large pot of cool water on the stove over high heat. Bring the water to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot, add 1/2 tsp ground turmeric to the cooking water, stir and cook according to the package instructions, drain and set aside until ready to use.
; If you are serving the dish with zucchini noodles, thinly slice the zucchini noodles. Place them in a bowl and set aside until you are ready to plate the dish. (see recipe notes) You can toss the zucchini noodles with a bit of turmeric before you set them aside. ; Chop the chicken breasts into large chunks and then toss the chicken with 3 tablespoons of the Khao Soi spice mix. Set a side.
In a large pot set over medium high heat, add 2 tsp avocado oil, garlic and fresh ginger to the pot. Cook for about two minutes until soft and fragrant.; Add the seasoned chicken to the pot. Stir with the garlic and ginger and cook for about two to three minutes so that the chicken starts to cook and the spices start to toast a bit. ; Add the coconut milk and water to the pot and stir well. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release anything that may have stuck to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer.; After about 10 minutes of cooking, add the soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos), fish sauce, salt, cardamom pods, one more tablespoon of spice mix and coconut sugar to the pot. Stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients. Let simmer for another 30 minutes until the chicken is well cooked and the flavor of the dish is well developed. ; For Serving: Set out enough soup bowls for the amount of servings you need. Place some rice or zucchini noodles in the center of each bowl. Using a ladle, add some chicken to each bowl making sure to get lots of the delicious curry broth. Top the dish with the topping ingredients listed above. It is fun to set out all of the topping ingredients in small bowls in the center of the table and let the guests serve themselves the toppings. Make sure to squeeze the lime into the dish and stir before eating. Enjoy! Store any remaining spice mix in an airtight container at room temperature. ; ; – For instructions on how to make zucchini noodles check out my <a href="https://eatingenchanted.com/recipe/low-carb-mediterranean-pasta-salad/">Low Carb Mediterranean Pasta Salad</a> recipe.  Then just go one step further and slice the zucchini noodles length wise in thin strips to create thin zucchini noodles. – Dinner – Main Dish – Thai – Dairy Free – Gluten Free – Healthy Comfort Food – Lectin Free – Low Carb – Paleo