Ohn No Khao Swè (Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodles)
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Chicken thighs simmer in a coconut milk and gram flour broth spiced with turmeric, paprika and chilli, served over egg noodles with egg, crispy noodles and lime.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Season the chicken. Toss the chicken with 1 tbsp of fish sauce and the turmeric, and leave for 15 minutes to pick up colour and seasoning before it goes into the pot.
- 2
Toast the gram flour. Toast the gram flour in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker - this removes its raw, beany taste. Whisk it with 150ml of the stock to make a smooth slurry.
- 3
Build the broth base. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion for 8-10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger for 1-2 minutes, then the paprika and chilli for 30 seconds.
- 4
Cook the chicken. Add the chicken and stir for 2-3 minutes until coated in the spices and no longer pink on the outside. Pour in the remaining stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
- 5
Thicken and add coconut milk. Whisk in the gram flour slurry and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened. Add the coconut milk and simmer gently for 5 minutes - keep the heat low rather than boiling hard, or the coconut milk can split - until the chicken reaches 74°C.
- 6
Season and cook the noodles. Stir in the remaining fish sauce to taste. Cook the egg noodles according to the packet, drain, and divide between bowls.
- 7
Assemble and serve. Ladle the broth and chicken over the noodles, then top each bowl with egg halves, red onion, crispy fried noodles, coriander and a pinch of chilli flakes. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Storage
Store the broth and noodles separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the broth gently on the hob, stirring, until piping hot throughout (74°C), and cook fresh noodles rather than reheating them in the broth. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large heavy saucepan or casserole (24-26 cm, 4 litres)
- dry frying pan
- large pot for noodles
- whisk
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 705 kcal |
| Protein | 37.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.8 g |
| of which sugars | 5.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.3 g |
| Fat | 43.5 g |
| of which saturates | 22.9 g |
| Fibre | 4.4 g |
| Salt | 2.62 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
