Burmese chicken coconut noodle soup (ohn noht kauk swe)

There are two ‘great’ noodle soups in Burmese cuisine: ohn noht kauk swe (coconut noodle soup) and mohinga (fish noodle soup). When I was young, I didn’t like coconut noodle soup and preferred mohinga instead. My middle brother, on the other hand, loved coconut noodle soup. I also found out that my youngest brother also liked coconut noodle soup so I have been making it a little more often.

My mom told me that coconut noodle soup was basically a chicken curry turned into a soup with some coconut milk added into it. How much coconut milk you added depended on how rich a broth you wanted. I like a ‘lighter’ soup so that it does not leave you feeling overly lethargic. I also do not know how to make a ‘small’ batch of this as it’s one of those dishes that can feed a ‘village’.

Note that this recipe requires toasted chickpea powder. I had some that my mom brought for me from Myanmar but you could toast your own from store-bought besan that you can find at your local Asian grocer.

Serves 12

Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 30 mins

Ingredients
1kg chicken thigh fillets, diced into small pieces
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup neutral oil
3 onions, chopped finely
8 garlic cloves, minced
2L water
6-8 tbsp toasted chickpea powder (besan)
400g can coconut milk
1.5kg egg noodles
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Garnish and toppings
8 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
1 bunch coriander, chopped
100g fried noodles
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
4 limes, quartered (optional)
dried chilli flakes (optional)

Marinade the chicken pieces with tumeric powder, paprika powder and fish sauce.

Toast the besan by heating it in a pan on low to medium heat, stirring frequently. This should take about 10-15 minutes and you will know it’s ready when it smells nutty and aromatic and the colour has deepened (but not charred!). Taste a little and it shouldn’t have a “raw” aftertaste with a subtle sweetness.

In a large pot, heat the oil and sautee the onion and garlic until it starts to brown. Then add the the chicken and brown all over. Add some water, until the chicken is half-covered, and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the oil ‘returns’ to the top.

Add 2L of water and coconut milk. Mix the toasted besan in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of water to create a slurry and add. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring to make sure nothing gets stuck to the bottom.

Season with salt and sugar (I used a 1:1 ratio) or to taste.

Pour over egg noodles and top with some hard-boiled egg slices, coriander and fried noodles.