Simple Khow Suey

Khow suey is a variation of a traditional Burmese dish called ‘ohn no khauk swe’. The dish is basically a noodle soup made with coconut milk. The Khow suey most of us know and love is also a dish that has coconut milk and noodles. However, this dish is now often a curry and is vegetarian. Our version definitely is. The Hungry Indian loves our Simple Khow Suey. It is easy to make, relatively quick considering that it is a curry, and it tastes absolutely yummy.

While this dish is not entirely kid friendly, once the curry is made and the noodles are boiled, the children as well as the adults can have fun. Everyone can customise their bowl of khow suey by adding noodles, curry, and toppings in different proportions. The result is a tasty, healthy, colourful, and fun dish that the entire family can enjoy. You can end this delicious meal on a tasty, seasonal note with our Vanilla Mango Pannacotta.

Try our Simple Khow Suey and let us know what you think. Also, please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have. We are happy to help.

We used the Khao Soi recipe by Sprigandvine.in as inspiration and changed proportions to suit our taste.

Simple Khow Suey

(Serves four large portions or six small portions)

 

• To make the paste:
  • 2-3 dried Red chillies (soak in hot water for 10-15 minutes)
  • 6-7 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium Onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon roasted Cumin powder (jeera)
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (haldi)
  • 2 teaspoons Coriander powder (dhania)
  • ½ teaspoon ground Black pepper
• To make the curry:
  • 2 tablespoons neutral Oil (vegetable or peanut)
  • 4 teaspoon Chickpea flour (besan)
  • 1-2 cups Water
  • 2-3 stalks Scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
  • 1 cup diced vegetables – carrots, beans, red bell pepper
  • 650 ml Coconut Milk
  • ¾ tablespoons dark Soy Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Jaggery (or light brown sugar or white sugar)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• To serve:
  • Boiled rice noodles/ Spaghetti noodles/ Maggi noodles (cooked without the taste maker masala)
• Toppings:
  • Finely chopped tomatoes
  • Finely chopped onions
  • Finely chopped capsicum
  • Finely chopped scallions, green parts only
  • Crunchy noodle curls (Break maggi noodles into small curls and deep fry until golden brown)
  • Lemon juice
  • Chopped Coriander

1. Add all the ingredients for the paste into a grinder and blend into a fine paste. Add some of the water, 1-2 tablespoons, used for soaking the chillies if the mixture needs some liquid to grind properly. Make the paste as fine as possible. You can make this a few hours in advance and store this in the refrigerator.
2. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium flame. Use a pan that is big and deep enough for all the liquid of the curry.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the curry paste to the pan. Be careful as the mixture will sizzle and splutter when it hits the hot oil.
4. Cook the paste for a few minutes, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste colour darkens. It will start to clump together.
5. Add the chickpea flour and stir well. Add a few spoons of water to help the mixture come together and stir properly. Cook for a few minutes longer.
6. Add the remaining water and mix well. Stir quickly to prevent lumps from forming. Mix until everything combines to a smooth mix. Continue stirring for a few minutes, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the diced vegetables and the scallions. Sauté for a few minutes.
8. Add coconut milk and soy sauce. Mix well and bring the curry to a boil.
9. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Cover with a lid or a plate.
10. Add jaggery and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Lemon juice will be added at the end so keep that in mind.
11. Simmer for another minute or so to allow the seasoning and sugar to incorporate. Turn off the flame and add the lemon juice. Taste again and adjust flavours as needed.
12. Serve the khow suey in deep bowls, like soup bowls. Place a portion of the noodles, top it off with curry, making sure you get the veggies as well. Add toppings of your choice.
13. Enjoy!

• Tips and Tricks:
  • You can use whatever veggies you have on hand that you want to include. You can add green and yellow bell peppers, zucchini, corn, mushrooms, etc.
  • You can add more vegetables to the curry if you like a vegetable-heavy curry. Alternatively, you could add more vegetables as toppings when you assemble your bowl.
  • Add more water to the curry, after the coconut milk is fully cooked through, if you want a thinner curry.