Khao soi
ข้าวซอย
Northern Thai curry noodles — coconut broth, boiled noodles, fried noodles on top, pickle on the side.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: ข้าวซอย.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Medium heat
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Khao soi is Chiang Mai's bowl: egg noodles in a coconut-curry broth that should be savoury and a little bitter from roasted chilli, not a sweet yellow soup. Crispy noodles on top, pickled mustard greens, shallot, lime. Chicken is the usual. This is not a green curry poured on pasta.
Ingredients
- Wheat noodles, fresh egg noodles if you can300 g
- Chicken, thigh, bone-in if possible500 g
- Coconut milk400 ml
- Shallot3
- Garlic4 clove
- Ginger, or galangal15 g
- Turmeric4.9 ml
- Fresh chilli2
- Fish sauce30 ml
- Lime2
- Neutral oil44 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Blend shallot, garlic, ginger, turmeric and chilli with a little oil to a paste. Fry in coconut cream until it splits and smells roasted, 5 minutes.
8 minStep 2
Add remaining coconut, chicken and water to cover. Simmer 25 minutes. Fish sauce. Taste: savoury, a little sweet, chilli in the back.
25 minStep 3
Boil most of the noodles. Fry a handful in oil until crisp. Bowls: noodles, broth, chicken, crisp noodles, shallot, lime.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Egg noodles → Wheat noodles
Less spring. Still a curry bowl.
Tips
- A spoon of store red curry paste is a Chiang Mai-adjacent shortcut. Fry it hard.
- Pickled mustard greens are the correct sour, not more lime alone.
History & culture
Northern Thai and Shan/Burmese-related. A lunch bowl. The pickle is part of the recipe.
Muslim and Burmese trading-route cooking that Chiang Mai made a signature. The coconut version is the one that travelled.
Regional variation
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Photograph supplied by the editorial kitchen. (Editorial supply).
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Khao soi take?
55 min all in — 20 min prep, 35 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 3 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
Medium heat.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Fish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Wok.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Fish sauce — 2 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much fish sauce?
2 tbsp of Fish sauce.
What can I use instead?
Egg noodles → Wheat noodles. Less spring. Still a curry bowl.
Any tips from this recipe?
A spoon of store red curry paste is a Chiang Mai-adjacent shortcut. Fry it hard. Pickled mustard greens are the correct sour, not more lime alone.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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