Ohn-no-kauk-swe (burmese Chicken Soup)

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 125 g vermicelli (4 oz)
• 440 g thin egg noodles (14 oz)
• 2 liters boiling water
• 600 g chicken thighs, cut in bite-size pieces (21 oz)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh turmeric, chopped (or 3/4 teaspoon ground)
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 medium cayenne chilies, deveined, deseeded and chopped (i retain 10-15 seeds)
• 330 ml coconut cream (11 oz)
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 chicken stock cubes (optional ( for a stronger stock)
• 2 liters boiling water, to reheat noodles
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2-1 cup deep fried onions (or shallots)
• 1 lime, cut in wedges
• 1/2-1 cup coriander leaves, chopped (cilantro)
• 2 -3 tablespoons crushed dried chilies
• 2 -3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced (or cut in wedges)
• extra fish sauce

Recipe

• 1 put the vermicelli and noodles in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water. as they soften, use two forks to separate the strands. when fully softened, drain them in a colander, and set aside.
• 2 rub the chicken with the fish sauce, and set aside.
• 3 dissolve the chickpea flour in the water, and set aside.
• 4 in a food processor, blend together the onions, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chillies. when well-blended, add 1/4 cup of the coconut cream, and process to a smooth paste.
• 5 heat the peanut oil in a pan large enough to hold all the soup ingredients. add the paste and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. add the chicken and continue frying for another 3 minutes, still stirring. add half the stock (2 1/2 cups) and one stock cube, if used, and bring to a boil. continue cooking another 15-20 minutes. stir every 5 minutes. you want the sauce to start thickening.
• 6 while the soup is cooking, prepare the garnishes, and set aside.
• 7 while the soup is cooking, also heat the other half of the stock (and a second stock cube, if used) in another pan until it starts to boil. add the dissolved (and stirred again) chickpea flour/water mixture, still stirring well to minimise lumps. when this thickens some (about 5 minutes) pour this mixture through a sieve into the pan containing the chicken mixture. stir well. (the sieve is important -- no matter how much you stir, there are still a few lumps.).
• 8 when the soup just starts to boil, add the remaining coconut cream. then bring soup back to a rolling boil.
• 9 while the soup is returning to a rolling boil, bring a full 2-liter kettle of water to the boil, then pour the hot water over the vermicelli and egg noodles you softened earlier. get the garnishes ready to serve.
• 10 let diners serve themselves. have each person put some noodles in their soup bowl, then ladle over the soup/chicken mixture and top with the garnishes they like. those who like salty should add a few shots of extra fish sauce.
• 11 attack with a spoon and fork while the soup is hot.
• 12 note: we use all the garnishes -- liberally.