A Big Steamy Bowl of Comfy

So what did I cook for my birthday weekend? I wanted something cozy, comforting, easy, and flavorful.

The answer: Chicken Khao Soi. This is a dish that I have been wanting to make ever since I first discovered it. Khao Soil is a thick, coconut curry noodle soup that originated in Northern Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. It is rich in flavor, and generally served with both crispy and chewy noodles, among other toppings. I had to visit a local Asian market to pick up several of the ingredients, but none were hard to find, and many were already in my pantry and spice drawer. The dish itself is quite easy to make and comes together in well under an hour.

I started by making a Khao Soi paste using everything you see below - one large shallot, two chilies, six garlic cloves, a one-inch piece of ginger (peeled and sliced), the zest from one lime, a handful of fresh cilantro (leaves and stems), two teaspoons each of Thai curry powder, ground coriander, and ground turmeric, and two tablespoons of shrimp paste.

Once it was thoroughly combined, I set it aside.

I sliced one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into pieces, and stir fried in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil for several minutes until cooked. I removed it from the pot and started on the soup base.

I added all of the paste to the pot and cooked for several minutes until the aroma filled the entire kitchen.

I then added four cups of chicken stock, two teaspoons of brown sugar, and two tablespoons of red curry paste. I scraped the bottom of the pan and brought it to a boil.

The final step was to add one can of unsweetened coconut milk, the cooked chicken, and three tablespoons of soy sauce. I did not add any salt up until this point because I knew the soy would provide that. I did end up adding a little salt at the very end.

Much like Pho, I opted to serve the toppings on the side and let everyone customize their own bowl. Choices included sliced chilies, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, red curry paste, Sambal, and crispy noodles.

To serve, I added a mound of fresh Chinese egg noodles to each bowl.....

...and then topped with the soup and fresh sliced shallots.

I personally chose to use every garnish except extra chilies. Once combined, the flavors got even better. Perfect birthday weekend lunch!