Illustrative AI food photo: a bowl of khao soi with a chicken drumstick, coconut curry broth and crispy noodles, with pickled greens, shallots and lime

Guides · Cook it at home

Khao soi is the signature noodle dish of Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand: a rich coconut curry broth, chicken on the bone braised until tender, soft egg noodles underneath and crispy fried noodles on top. The garnishes do the rest. Sour pickled mustard greens, raw shallot and a squeeze of lime cut through the richness.

The fastest route to the right flavour is a store-bought khao soi paste. If you can't find one, red curry paste plus curry powder and turmeric gets you close. Either way, fry the paste in coconut cream until the oil separates. That one step is the difference between flat and fragrant.

Ingredients

Curry broth

  • 2 cans (400 ml / 14 fl oz each) coconut milk, unshaken
  • 60 g (¼ cup) khao soi curry paste, or red curry paste plus 2 tsp (10 ml) curry powder and ½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground turmeric
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Madras-style curry powder
  • 750 g (1⅔ lb) bone-in chicken drumsticks and thighs (6 to 8 pieces), skin removed if you like
  • 500 ml (2 cups) low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce, plus more to taste
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) dark soy sauce (for colour, optional)

Noodles

  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh egg noodles (wonton or lo mein style), divided
  • Neutral oil, for frying

Garnishes

  • 120 g (4 oz) pickled mustard greens, rinsed and chopped
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
  • Roasted chili paste (nam prik pao) or chili oil
  • Cilantro and sliced green onion

Method

  1. Fry the paste. Spoon the thick cream from the top of one can of coconut milk into a heavy pot with the oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until it bubbles and begins to look oily. Add the curry paste and fry 3 to 4 minutes more, until the paste darkens and the oil turns red. Stir in the curry powder for 30 seconds.
  2. Braise the chicken. Add the chicken and turn it to coat in the paste for 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, partly covered, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender but not falling apart.
  3. Season. Season with the fish sauce, palm sugar and dark soy. Taste: it should be rich, gently sweet and salty, with enough heat to notice. Pastes vary a lot in salt, so season at the end.
  4. Fry the crispy noodles. Loosen about 100 g (3½ oz) of the noodles and pat them dry. Heat 2.5 cm (1 in) of oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry small nests for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel and salt lightly.
  5. Boil the rest. Cook the remaining noodles in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, or according to the package, then drain.
  6. Assemble. Divide the boiled noodles among deep bowls, add the chicken, and ladle over the hot curry. Top with crispy noodles and serve the pickled greens, shallots, lime and chili paste on the side so everyone can adjust their bowl.

Tips

  • Do not shake the coconut milk cans. The thick cream on top is what you fry the paste in.
  • Like most curries, the broth tastes better the next day. Make it ahead and cook the noodles fresh.
  • Pickled mustard greens come in cans or pouches (often labelled sour mustard or pak gad dong). Rinse them first; they are the sour note the bowl needs.
  • For a vegetarian bowl, use firm tofu and vegetable stock, and replace the fish sauce with soy sauce and a pinch more salt.
  • Air fryer crispy noodles: toss with 1 tsp oil and cook at 200°C (390°F) for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking once.

Where to buy the ingredients in Toronto

Khao soi paste, palm sugar, pickled mustard greens and fresh egg noodles are easiest to find at Asian supermarkets such as T&T, Btrust and Oceans, and at the Thai and Southeast Asian grocers downtown and in Scarborough. Coconut milk, fish sauce, red curry paste and curry powder are in the international aisle of most large supermarkets.

Elsewhere in Canada, large Asian supermarkets and Thai or Southeast Asian grocers carry the same staples.

Prefer to eat it out?

Chef Nuit Regular's PAI Northern Thai Kitchen is listed in the Michelin Guide Toronto, and the Guide names khao soi among the North Thai dishes to order there. See our page on PAI Northern Thai Kitchen.