The concept of “soup-y noodles” is one that’s very underrepresented in Europe and America, but ubiquitous in nearly every Asian cuisine I can think of: Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, Tibetan shyakpa, Malaysian laksa, the list goes on. Some are brothier- more of a traditional soup- and some are thicker, like a curry. Most have lots of goodies floating in them. The beauty of eating these dishes is that they take some commitment and a willingness to really get down and dirty in the bowl. You’ve got to tie your hair back and get ready to break a sweat while noodles slip through your chopsticks and broth drips down your chin (just me?).
The soupy noodles I’m sharing here are Thai. The liquid is a thin curry and in it floats rice sticks, tofu, chicken and medium-boiled eggs. It’s topped with chopped roasted peanuts, herbs and those addictive fried shallots that I keep in an actual tub in my pantry. It’s incredibly sloppy to eat and there are few things more satisfying to put into your stomach.
This dish is also a commitment to make. You’ll need to plan ahead for access to things like kaffir limes and shrimp paste and fresh turmeric. It requires making two types of curry paste (yellow and red) from scratch, which is time-consuming. You could cheat and buy them in the cans, but it’s never going to be as tasty. If you make this, you should invite some friends over to benefit from your labor. It’s a one-dish dinner and if it doesn’t impress these people, they probably aren’t worth associating with anyway.
Is it just me, or does it seem like every foreseeable weekend from now through the beginning of summer is spoken for? Ski trips, birthdays, vacations…I’m dying to throw a dinner for 10 (my #1 favorite project) but it feels like there isn’t a single day on which to do it. I guess there are worse problems to have, but there is something special about taking the opportunity to toil for 16 hours in the kitchen, spend hundreds of dollars and bring myself JUST to the brink of an emotional meltdown in order to gather all my favorite people in one place to eat something delicious , then pass out on my own couch with a sink full of dishes and a throbbing dessert-wine headache.
Or, I could just make this curry.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant (about 1 minute)
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant (about 1 minute)
- 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
- 7 dried Thai long chiles, seeded, soaked in hot water until soft, and drained
- 10 dried bird's eye chiles, seeded, soaked in hot water until soft, and drained
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped galangal
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced lemongrass
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped kaffir lime rind (if you can't find the whole lime, substitute with leaves)
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro roots or stems
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup sliced shallots
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant (about 1 minute)
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant (about 1 minute)
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant (about 1 minute)
- 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
- 3 dried red Thai long chiles, seeded, soaked in hot water to cover until soft, and drained
- 5 dried bird's eye chiles, seeded, soaked in hot water to cover until soft, an ddrained
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped galangal
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced lemongrass
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped kaffir lime rind (or leaves)
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 4-inch fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro roots or stems
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup sliced shallots
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts- but thighs are better)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons homemade red curry paste or 2 tablespoons store-bought
- 2 tablespoons kari (yellow) curry paste, homemade or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons packed grated palm sugar, or 1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 3 cups sodium-free chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
- 6 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into matchsticks 1 inch long and 1/4 inch wide and thick
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 8 oz. mung bean sprouts
- 8 oz. dried rice sticks (about 1/8 inch wide)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped preserved radish (optional)
- 1/4 cup fried shallots
- 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts
- 2 hard- or medium-boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges
- Fish sauce
- Granulated sugar
- Red chile powder
Instructions
- First make the curry pastes. Add one ingredient at a time (in the order they are listed) and grind to a paste in a mortar in pestle. If you're using a small food processor, first toast and grind the spices and then add everything into the food processor at once. Process until smooth.
- Cut the chicken against the grain and on the diagonal into thin, bite-size pieces. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- In a 1-gallon saucepan, combine the vegetable oil, coconut cream and curry pastes and stir over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir for about 1 minute, until the chicken is coated with the curry paste. Add the sugar, fish sauce, coconut milk and stock, stir well and bring to a very gentle boil. When the chicken is cooked through, after 3 or 4 minutes, stir in the tofu and curry powder, mixing well to distribute the curry powder evenly. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting; keep the curry warm.
- Have ready 4 large individual serving bowls. Half fill another 1-gallon saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the bean sprouts, stir and then immediately fish the bean sprouts out of the water with a wire-mesh skimmer, shaking off the excess water. Divide the bean sprouts evenly among the bowls. While the water is still boiling, add the dried noodles, stir to submerge and cook until they have softened through. Taste a strand to make sure they are ready. Drain the cooked noodles through a large colander placed in the sink and rinse off all starchy liquid that clings to them with running hot tap water. Shake off the water. Divide the noodles evenly among the bowls.
- Immediately ladle the curry over the noodles, dividing it evenly, Sprinkle each serving with an equal amount of the radish, fried shallots, cilantro and peanuts. Top each serving with an egg half. Serve immediately with the limes, fish sauce, sugar and red chile powder for adding as desired.
Notes
From Simple Thai Food
