Khao soi is all about the combination of tender boiled noodles and the crunch of fried noodles – it’s textural bliss.
Khao soi
Khao soi traditionally uses meat cooked on the bone, but for this quicker version, we’ve opted for smaller pieces of chicken thigh fillet; we’ve also taken a shortcut and used ground spices instead of pounding our own – just be sure they’re fresh for the best flavour. If you want to take the longer approach, use chicken Marylands cut through the joint, and simmer them slowly and gently until the meat is falling from the bone. Khao soi is all about the combination of tender boiled noodles and the crunch of the fried noodles that are scattered on top – it’s textural bliss.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 20 mins
Serves 4
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for
shallow-frying
400 ml coconut cream
300 ml coconut water
50 ml soy sauce
50 gm light palm sugar, coarsely grated 8 skinless chicken thigh fillets, chopped
into bite-sized pieces
400 gm fresh egg noodles
Coarsely chopped pickled mustard greens (see note), thinly sliced red shallots, coriander sprigs, thinly sliced birdseye chillies and lime wedges, to serve
Curry paste
8 dried long red chillies, seeds discarded, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained 8 garlic cloves
8 coriander roots, cleaned
30 gm ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped 30 gm turmeric, peeled and coarsely chopped 4 red shallots, coarsely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fennel
½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 For curry paste, process chillies, garlic, coriander roots, ginger, turmeric and shallot in a food processor to a paste, add ground spices and 2 tsp sea salt and pulse to combine.
2 Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add curry paste and stir frequently until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add coconut cream, coconut water, soy sauce and sugar, and simmer until well flavoured (10-12 minutes). Season to taste. Add chicken and simmer until just tender (4-5 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, heat 3cm oil in a deep-frying pan over medium-high heat until oil starts shimmering. Add 100gm noodles and fry until crisp and golden (2-3 minutes). Drain on paper towels.
4 Cook remaining noodles in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender (2-3 minutes), then drain well and divide among serving bowls. Ladle chicken and sauce over noodles, top with fried noodles, mustard greens, sliced shallot, coriander sprigs and chilli, and serve hot with lime wedges.
Note Pickled mustard greens are available from select Asian grocers.
Drink suggestion A can of Singha.
Lemongrass beef with rice noodles
Noodle salads are excellent in all weather – particularly when it’s steamy because there’s minimal cooking involved. This dish works well with sliced sirloin; we’ve made it quicker by using minced beef instead. Roasted peanuts or fried shallots would be a great addition for a bit of crunch.
Prep time 15 mins, cook 5 mins (plus soaking)
Serves 4-6 (pictured p107)
2 garlic cloves
1 lemongrass stalk (white part only), thinly sliced
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp caster sugar
300 gm coarsely minced beef
1 tbsp fish sauce
250 gm rice vermicelli
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
100 gm (1 cup, loosely packed) bean sprouts ½ cup (loosely packed) coriander
½ cup (loosely packed) Vietnamese mint ½ cup (loosely packed) holy basil
Thinly sliced birdseye chilli, to serve
Lime-chilli dressing
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1-2 birdseye chillies, coarsely chopped, 1½ tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
1½ tbsp lime juice
1½ tbsp rice vinegar
1 Pound garlic, lemongrass, peppercorns and caster sugar to a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl, add beef and fish sauce and mix well.
2 Place noodles in a large bowl, cover well with boiling water and stand to soften (5-6 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, for lime-chilli dressing, pound garlic, chilli and sugar to a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle, then stir in fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar and 1 tbsp water.
4 Drain noodles, refresh under cold running water and drain well. Cut noodles into manageable pieces and divide among serving bowls.
5 Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat, add beef mixture and stir-fry until browned and just cooked through (2-3 minutes). Spoon beef over noodles, drizzle with lime-chilli dressing to taste, scatter with bean sprouts, herbs and extra chilli to taste and serve.
Wine suggestion A spicy, peachy pinot gris.>
Clam, sausage and black bean noodles with garlic chives
Surf and turf – what’s not to love? In this case, it’s clams and Chinese sausage, tossed through fresh egg noodles with black beans, garlic chives and plenty of soy sauce. Speedy and tasty.
Prep time 15 mins, cook 10 mins
Serves 4-6
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
150 gm lap cheong sausage, thickly sliced 20 gm ginger, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp fermented black beans, coarsely mashed (see note)
1 kg clams (see note)
90 ml Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
400 gm fresh Hokkien noodles
1 bunch garlic chives, cut into rough 5cm pieces
Roasted chilli oil (see note), to serve
1 Heat oil in a wok over high heat, add sausage, ginger and garlic, and stir-fry until sausage is browned (1-2 minutes). Stir in fermented black beans, then add clams and stir to coat. Add wine and soy sauce, cover with a lid and cook, shaking wok occasionally, until clams open (3-4 minutes). 2 Meanwhile, cook noodles in a saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender (2-3 minutes). Drain, then add to wok along with garlic chives. Stir-fry noodles, coating well with sauce, and serve hot with roasted chilli oil.
Note Fermented black beans and roasted chilli oil are available from Asian grocers. Clams are available to buy already purged of grit; otherwise soak clams in water for 20 minutes to remove sand. Wine suggestion A bold young Beaujolais.
Kimchi noodle pancakes
There’s so much flavour in these crisp pancakes, you’ll find it hard not to go back for more. We’ve made two whoppers here, but it’s easy to divide the mixture into a few smaller pancakes.
Prep time 10 mins, cook 20 mins
Serves 4-6
120 gm japchae (see note)
300 gm kimchi, coarsely chopped (see note) 30 gm gochujang (see note)
6 spring onions, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve
20 gm (4cm piece) ginger, finely grated 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
100 gm ( 2/ cup) plain flour
3
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds, plus extra to serve
80 ml ( 1/ cup) vegetable oil
3
Gochujang dipping sauce
2 tbsp gochujang
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 Cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (4-5 minutes). Drain well, rinse under cold running water, drain well again, then transfer to a bowl and snip into rough pieces with kitchen scissors.
2 Stir in kimchi, gochujang, spring onion, ginger, garlic and eggs, then add flour and sesame seeds, and mix until well combined.
3 For gochujang dipping sauce, stir ingredients in a bowl to combine.
4 Heat a quarter of the oil in a 20cm-diameter frying pan over medium heat, add half the noodle mixture, spreading evenly, and fry until golden brown on the base (3-4 minutes). Slide pancake onto a plate, add another quarter of the oil to pan, then carefully invert pancake (see tip) into pan and fry until golden brown and cooked through (3-4 minutes). Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining oil and pancake batter. Scatter pancakes with extra sesame seeds and spring onion, and serve warm with dipping sauce. Note Japchae, Korean noodles made from sweet potato, are available from Korean grocers and Asian supermarkets, as are kimchi and gochujang. Drink suggestion A shot glass of cold soju (a Korean spirit).