One of Chiang Mai’s well-known dishes, this is found on restaurant menus and at hawker stalls, particularly those near the mosque. Serve with the accompaniments suggested as they complement the noodles especially well.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 3 dried long red chillies
- 4 Asian shallots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 cm (¾ in) piece of turmeric, grated
- 5 cm (2 in) piece of ginger, grated
- 4 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) roots
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 4 fl oz (100 ml) coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar (jaggery)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 chicken drumsticks and 4 chicken thighs, with skin and bone
- 17 fl oz 2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock or water
- 14 fl oz 1 2/3 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
- 14 oz (400 g) fresh flat egg noodles
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- chopped or sliced spring onions (scallions), for garnish
- a handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, for garnish
- lime wedges, to serve
- pickled mustard greens or cucumber, to serve
- roast chilli sauce, to serve
- Asian shallots, quartered, to serve
How to Make It
- To make the paste, soak the dried chillies in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and chop the chillies into pieces, discarding the seeds. Put the chillies in a pestle and mortar with the shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, coriander roots and shrimp paste and pound to a fine paste. Add the curry powder and a pinch of salt and mix well.
- Put the coconut cream in a wok or saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the cream separates and a layer of oil forms on the surface. Stir the cream if it starts to brown around the edges.
- Add the paste and stir until fragrant. Add the sugar, soy sauce and chicken and stir well, then add the stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and tender.
- Meanwhile, cook 100 g (4 oz) of the egg noodles by deep-frying them in very hot oil in a saucepan until they puff up. Drain on paper towels. Cook the remaining noodles in boiling water according to the packet instructions.
- Put the boiled noodles in a large bowl and spoon the chicken mixture over the top. Garnish with the crispy noodles, spring onions and coriander leaves. Serve the accompaniments alongside the chicken and noodles.
