Laos Khao Poon Curry Noodle Soup Vermicelli Noodles

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This is one of the most delicious Southeast Asian noodle dishes hailing from Laos (and also popular in Thailand). It's an explosion of flavor from the soup to garnishes.

Ingredients

1 package of fresh lemon grass 1 package of fresh galangal 1 bag of Thai chilis (optional)  1 package of round vermicelli rice noodles 1 - 4 oz can of red curry paste 2 - 14 oz can of coconut milk 1 banana blossom 1 bag of kaffir leaves (lime leaves)

Step 1 - Prepare Broth

Get the chicken broth made with galangal, kaffir leaves, and lemon grass with a box of chicken broth (cheater meth0d).

Step 2 - Shred Chicken

Shred the chicken by hand or the authentic method, using a mortar and pestle to pound the chicken.

Step 3 - Mince Aromatics

Mince shallots, galangal, garlic, kaffir leaves, paprika, and lemongrass using a food processor.

Step 4 - Creating the Base

Get some vegetable oil and heat it up. Add the minced ingredients followed by paprika and curry paste. Smell the deliciousness.

Secret Ingedient: Padaek

This stuff SMELLS. But it makes this meal SO WORTH IT. It's fermented fish sauce. Optional, but you'll be missing a bit of the depth of flavor without.

Step 5 - Broth & Cream

Add the coconut cream followed by the chicken broth.

Step 6 - Vermicelli Noodles

Follow instructions for vermicelli noodles. I recommend folding the noodles after cooking for easier serving.

Garnish Khao Poon

Garnishes include shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage, cilantro, mint, green onion, and culantro.

Authentic Tip

To take it up a notch, you can also use pork neck bones (authentically, this is a must). You do this SEPARATELY and get rid of the pork broth.

Cooking with Lane

If you liked this recipe, check out more Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese recipes at cookingwithlane.com below.