This Thai Noodle Stew with Coconut Curry is bursting with sweet and warm flavors. Healthy and filling, it’s the perfect dish for a cold, winter evening.
Bursting with a variety of different flavors, this Thai Noodle Stew with Coconut Curry is a favorite around my house. Being a curry aficionado, I feel confident in saying this stew is great for nearly everyone. That said, I’m a curry lover and I know some curries can be a bit overwhelming, especially to the uninitiated. But you’re in luck, my corn dog and chicken nugget eating four year old agrees! If I can get that particular little bugger to eat curry, it’s pretty much a golden recipe (no pun intended).

Where Does This Come From?
This recipe comes from the heart… Just kidding, it’s roots are really more Thai, well, Northern Thai if you’re going to be specific. There’s a dish I was originally introduced to at Sticky Rice (a Thai Restaurant in Chicago) called Khao Soi, which is the foundation of this recipe. Albeit, Sticky Rice has great Khao Soi, I had some heavenly ones in Thailand. So, what is it? Khao Soi is a creamy coconut curry with ginger, turmeric, pureed peppers, garlic, and cilantro. Often served with rice noodles and topped with crispy egg noodles. Being Northern Thai, it also has traits from Myanmar and China that we’ll discuss later.

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, its Chicken Curry!!!
As mentioned above, this mild chicken curry is the least audacious of all curries… So much so, that Khao Soi oddly enough is a breakfast dish! Yeah, not a typo and your eyes are not playing tricks on you, BREAKFAST! And it’s actually a great breakfast dish, I recall my Khao Soi breakfast experience as a rather enjoyable experience. Being early risers, my wife and I went to explore a produce market on Mun Mueang Rd in Chiang Mai. Getting the seven am hungries, we found a quaint streetside food hawker with the best and only morning curry I’ve ever had! But now you all got me thinking, Khao Soi Benedict anyone?

Egg Noodles and Thai Noodle Stew with Coconut Curry
They’re a bit a like a horse and carriage. If I didn’t know better, I’d presume fried egg noodles were specifically made for Khao Soi, but interesting enough, this portion of the dish is actually Chinese! While the Thai Noodle Stew with Coconut Curry has a delicate sweet and spiciness to it, the egg noodles add a nice savory crunch. They’re not required, but I think you’ll appreciate it.

Who’s Got Time to Make Egg Noodles?
The real question is, who doesn’t have time? If you do the spaetzle cheater method, it’s done in the blink of an eye. Mix together 3 Large Eggs, 1 Cup King Arthur Measure for Measure, 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt, 2 Tbsp Water, ladle it into a plastic bag. Once you have a large pot of water boil, cut the tip of the bag to about 1/4 inch opening, then gently and continuously start squeezing the viscous dough into the boil water. Once your noodles rise to the top, let them cook for another 30 second, then ladle them out. Pat them dry, then in a medium sized pot, pour in 2 cups of Canola Oil, and on high heat deep fry the freshly made egg noodles. In about 45 seconds your noodles should start to become crisp, golden brown delights!

Tips and Tricks For Making Thai Noodle Stew with Coconut Curry
- In any dish that cooks for some time, chicken thighs will maintain their moisture better than breasts because of their fat content. If you want to use the healthier boneless/skinless chicken breast, then you want to watch it closely on cooking time to maintain the moisture. Browning the chicken breasts (according to directions) will help with this!
- When chopping cilantro, don’t be afraid to use both stems and leaves.
- If you can’t find Gochujang chili paste (my local Kroger has this Gochujang in the Asian aisle), you can substitute it for 3-4 dried Pasilla Peppers located in the Mexican aisle of your local grocery store. Cut the stems off, and roll the peppers in your hand to remove most of the seeds. Soak the peppers for 15 minutes in near boiling water. Once they’re rehydrated, blend the peppers with 1/3 cup of water and use as you would the Gochujang.
If You Like This, You Might Also Enjoy
Northern Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps– Light, delicious, filling, and impressive… What more is there to say?
Hearty and Authentic Vietnamese Beef Pho– Exactly what the title says… Just a fantastic, delicious Vietnamese Pho!!!