Chiang Mai Chicken Curry Recipes

CHIANG MAI CURRY NOODLES (KAO SOI)

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then add the garlic. Toss well and add the red curry paste, mashing and stirring to soften it in the oil, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing now and then to brown it evenly and mix it with the curry paste.
• Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, turmeric, soy sauce, sugar and salt and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil and adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook about 10 minutes until meat is cooked through.
• Stir in lime juice, remove from heat and cover to keep curry warm while you prepare the noodles.
• Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water until tender but still firm, as little as 2 minutes for fresh noodles and 7 minutes or more for dried. Drain, rinse well in cold water, drain again and divide the noodles among individual serving bowls. Ladle on hot curry, and sprinkle each serving with the shallots, cilantro and green onions. Serve hot and garnish with crunchy noodle nests as noted in description if using.

CHIANG MAI CURRIED NOODLES (KHAO SOI GAI)

Steps:

• First, make the pickled chilli & shallots: Put the chilli and shallots in a small bowl and pour the vinegar over. Add some salt and let it sit to pickle while you make the curry.
• In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the curry paste and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 mins, then add the curry powder and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 min more, then add the coconut milk, coconut cream, stock, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer.
• Chop the chicken into pieces and add to the curry. Cook for 15 mins or until tender.
• Boil some water in a large saucepan for the noodles. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a small wok - it's ready when a small piece of bread sizzles when dropped in. Add 75g of the noodles to the wok in 4 batches until they bubble up and go crispy. Use a wire mesh ladle or slotted spoon to remove them and drain on kitchen paper.
• Boil the remaining noodles for 2-3 mins until al dente, then drain. Divide the noodles between 4 bowls. Pour the curry over each and top with coriander, beansprouts, some drained pickled chilli & shallots, spring onions and a drizzle of chilli oil. Top with the crisp noodles and devour while it's hot.

CHIANG MAI CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Dice the chicken into 1/2" cubes.
• Heat the oil, fry the garlic for 1 minute.
• Add curry paste and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients as well as 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour (if using pork, simmer 1 1/2 hour).
• Serve with steamed rice (jasmine or basmati).

KHAO SOI (CHIANG MAI) NOODLES

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven, wok, or saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons oil. When the oil begins to simmer, sear chicken until golden brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total. (It will finish cooking in the curry, so don't worry if it's not cooked through.) Set drumsticks aside, leaving pan over heat.
• To heated pan, add 3/4 cup coconut milk (if using canned coconut milk that has separated, use the top, thicker portion of the milk) to the pan. Simmer coconut milk, stirring constantly, until it has reduced by half and you can see oil separating from the milk, 5 to 6 minutes. (Note: This step to "break" the coconut milk is part of the traditional process, but don't worry if your coconut milk doesn't show signs of separating after this initial cook time - just proceed with the recipe.)
• To coconut milk, add Khao Soi curry paste or seasoning packet and simmer, stirring constantly, until thick and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add chicken pieces and stir to coat in curry paste.
• Pour chicken stock and remaining 1 cup coconut milk over chicken.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to maintain a low simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and very tender, 20 minutes for cubed chicken and 30 minutes for drumsticks.
• Turn on the pressure cooker's sauté function to normal / medium. When hot, add 2 Tablespoons oil. When the oil begins to simmer, sear chicken until golden brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total. (It will finish cooking in the curry, so don't worry if it's not cooked through.) Set drumsticks aside, leaving sauté function on.
• To heated pot, add 3/4 cup coconut milk (if using canned coconut milk that has separated, use the top, thicker portion of the milk).
• To coconut milk, add Khao Soi curry paste or seasoning packet and simmer, stirring constantly, until thick and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add chicken and stir to coat in curry paste.
• Pour chicken stock and remaining 1 cup coconut milk over chicken.
• Turn off saute function and let the mixture cool slightly. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan (this is a key step to prevent the burn error).
• Close and lock the lid. Set steam valve to Sealing. Cook on manual / high for 15 minutes.
• Let pressure naturally release for 5 minutes and then manually release any remaining pressure.
• Heat a Dutch oven, wok, or saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons oil. When the oil begins to simmer, sear chicken until golden brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total. (It will finish cooking in the curry, so don't worry if it's not cooked through.) Set drumsticks aside, leaving pan over heat.
• To heated pan, add 3/4 cup coconut milk (if using canned coconut milk that has separated, use the top, thicker portion of the milk) to the pan. Simmer coconut milk, stirring constantly, until it has reduced by half and you can see oil separating from the milk, 5 to 6 minutes. (Note: This step to "break" the coconut milk is part of the traditional process, but don't worry if your coconut milk doesn't show signs of separating after this initial cook time - just proceed with the recipe.)
• To coconut milk, add Khao Soi curry paste or seasoning packet and simmer, stirring constantly, until thick and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer coconut and curry mixture to the bowl of a slow cooker. Add chicken stock, remaining 1 cup coconut milk and chicken.
• Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 7 hours.
• When the curry is nearly finished, fill a wok, Dutch oven, or saucepan with about 4 inches of vegetable oil and place it over medium heat. Set a plate lined with paper towels nearby. When the oil is hot, fry 6 ounces of noodles in batches until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure that each portion of noodles is roughly the right size to top each bowl of soup. Transfer fried noodles to paper towels and season immediately with some salt.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 4 ounces noodles. Boil until just tender (they should still have a bit of a chewy texture). Drain.
• When the curry is finished, taste and season with some salt, fish sauce, or a pinch of sugar if you'd like. (This is a key step for a great Thai curry. Customizing to taste means you'll get a curry that you love every time.)
• Divided boiled noodles between serving bowls. Ladle curry over top. Finish with fried noodles and toppings

CHIANG MAI NOODLE BEEF KHAO SOI

Steps:

• Remove excess fat from beef short rib. With a pairing knife, slice beef into large chunks.
• In a dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium high. Add beef short rib chunks with tongs and brown in oil on both sides, 2-3 minutes. It's easiest to do this in batches, removing browned meat and placing in a separate bowl until all of the beef has been seared.
• Add red curry paste to the saucepan and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 mins, then add the Indian curry powder, turmeric and sliced red chili.
• Cook for 1 minute then add coconut milk, coconut cream, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, tamarind paste, beef stock, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer.
• Return the seared beef back to the pot filled with Chiang Mai Noodle Kao Soi curry sauce.
• Keep the broth at a simmer over low heat and cover with a heavy lid, and cook for 2 hours, until the beef chunks are extremely tender and some oil has started to separate from the broth, floating to the surface.
• During the braising process, if the liquid level has reduced too much, add more water or beef stock to bring it back to the original level.
• While beef short rib is tenderizing in the coconut curry sauce, add 2 inches of canola oil to a large wok. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it bubbles.
• Separate the fresh egg noodles into segments, then fry 3 oz until golden brown and crispy. Drain well and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the remaining flat egg noodles until soft and cooked through, drain well and set aside.
• Assembly: Add a small handful of cooked egg noodles into the bottom of a large soup bowl. Ladle the Kao Soi curry sauce along with chunks of beef over the noodles. Garnish Chiang Mai Noodle bowl with crispy fried egg noodles, sliced shallots, chopped cilantro, bean sprouts and lime wedges. Serve with soup spoon and chopsticks.

CHIANG MAI ROAST CHICKEN (KAI YAANG)

Steps:

• Make the Sweet Chile Dipping Sauce: To a small saucepan, add water, vinegar, and sugar; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, roughly slice chiles and garlic. Place in a food processor with salt and pulse to a rough chop; add to the pot. Turn heat to low to maintain a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, until the liquid thickens slightly and becomes just slightly syrupy, 8-12 minutes. Cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken further as it cools. Makes ¾ cup. You can store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for months; the flavor improves as the ingredients continue to meld.
• Make the Tamarind Dipping Sauce: To a small saucepan, add water, palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Add chile powder; whisk to break up the palm sugar and tamarind pulp. Continue cooking on a low simmer, 5-8 minutes. Pour dipping sauce into a bowl and cool to room temperature. Makes about 1½ cups. You can store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for weeks.
• Make the Fried Shallot Oil: Set a fine-mesh strainer over a heat proof bowl. Set aside. Pour oil into a shallow pan a half-inch high. Set pan over high heat until oil is lightly bubbling, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the shallots by peeling, slicing in half, then thinly slicing with the grain into a julienne. When the oil is bubbling, turn heat to low and add the shallots and stir. Don't be tempted to rush the process with high heat: cook, stirring and scraping the sides occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle sizzle, 5-10 minutes.
• When the oil stops bubbling and the shallots are starting to brown but still look raw, turn off heat. The residual heat will continue cooking the shallots. Continue stirring and flipping the shallots until they are a deep golden brown and crispy, another 1-2 minutes. Pour shallot oil through the strainer, reserving the flavorful oil. Gently shake the strainer to remove as much oil as possible, then transfer the shallots to paper towels to drain and cool in an even layer. As they cool down, they'll crisp up. Makes about ¼ cup fried shallots and ½ cup shallot oil. Storage: Fried shallots can be stored in a container, uncovered, at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, cool the shallots completely, then place into an airtight container with a silica gel packet (available online) to keep fresh for several weeks. Shallot oil can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
• Brine: Whisk salt and sugar with 10 cups water in a large mixing bowl until the sugar and salt fully dissolve, 5 minutes.
• Slice lemongrass into 2-inch pieces; slice a 1-inch piece of ginger; place in mortar. Add white peppercorns, then lightly pound to bruise and slightly crush. Add to the brine. Place garlic cloves in the mortar; lightly pound and add to the brine. Roughly chop cilantro stems, briefly pound in mortar, and add to brine. Cut green onions into 3-inch pieces and add to brine.
• Place chicken breast-side down in a Dutch oven. Pour brine over the chicken to submerge. (If chicken isn't completely submerged, weigh it down with a plate.) Cover and refrigerate, 4-6 hours.
• Stuffing: Trim lemongrass ends and remove woody outer layer; slice into ⅛-inch rings. Firmly pound in the mortar until fragrant, 10 seconds. Add the salt and pepper, pound briefly. Roughly chop garlic with peel, add to mortar and pound, about 10 seconds. Roughly chop cilantro stems before adding to mortar and pestle; pound to lightly bruise. (Note: You can also use a food processor and pulse a couple times.)
• Remove chicken and discard the brine. Place chicken upright, cavity-side down, in a colander to drain. After draining, place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack; tuck wings under the breast. Spoon stuffing into the cavity. Place chicken, uncovered, back into the refrigerator to dry out, 6-8 hours.
• Marinade: In a small bowl, stir fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove chicken from refrigerator after 6 hours. Brush liberally with marinade on the top and sides (it's not necessary to brush the underside). Place chicken back in refrigerator, uncovered, 2 more hours.Basting glaze: In a small bowl, stir together honey and water. Set aside. 1 hour before roasting chicken, preheat oven to 350 F, preferably convection. (If your chicken is on the larger side, raise the heat to 375 F.)
• Roast chicken: Remove chicken from refrigerator, place directly into the oven, and roast for 15-20 minutes. Raise temperature to 400 F, baste chicken with fried shallot oil, rotate pan and continue roasting, 15 minutes. Raise temperature to 425 F, baste again with shallot oil, rotate pan and continue roasting, 15 minutes. Baste with honey glaze, rotate pan and roast for a final 7-8 minutes. (Total roasting time will be about 1 hour.)
• Chicken is done when skin is glossy and golden brown, and a thermometer inserted between the leg and thigh registers 155 F. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. (Chicken will continue cooking as it rests.)
• Serve: Place rested chicken on a cutting board. Using a cleaver or sharp knife, split chicken down the center of the breast bone. Turn chicken halves onto their sides; one half at a time, cut the wings off, followed by legs and thighs at the joint. Then, cut between the joint of each leg and thigh. Cut each breast into three pieces. Serve on a platter with Sweet Chile Dipping sauce and Tamarind Dipping Sauce. (Note: Stuffing is meant to be an aromatic-it's not inedible, but it shouldn't be eaten.)