🇲🇲 Myanmar
Ohn no khao swèBurmese coconut noodle soup
A Burmese noodle soup of wheat egg noodles in a chicken and coconut-milk broth thickened with chickpea flour, with garlic, ginger and onion paste, topped with boiled egg, crisp fried noodles, raw onion, chili and lime.
Origin and history
Ohn no khao swe (also spelled ohn no kauk swe) means roughly "noodles with coconut milk". 196 Flavors calls it the most famous Burmese recipe after mohinga and says it tends to be served at Thadingyut, the festival of lights that ends Buddhist Lent. A cook from Yangon describes it as sold at street stalls, made at home and often served at weddings and other celebrations.
Make it at home
- Makes
- 6 servings
- Total time
- 1 h 30 min
- Hands-on
- 50 min
Ingredients
- 700 g1.5 lb bone-in chicken thighs (about 6), skin removed if you like
- 100 g1 cup chickpea flour (besan), whisked smooth with 250 ml / 1 cup cold water
- 400 ml1 3/4 cups coconut milk or cream, one standard can
- 2 onions, one finely chopped, one coarsely chopped
- 120 ml1/2 cup cooking oil
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 3 tsp1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder, adjust to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 450 g1 lb egg noodles
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved or sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced, raw
- a handful flat dried rice noodles, deep-fried until puffed, for topping
- fresh coriander, lime wedges, salt, to serve and season
Method
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1. Put the chicken in a large pot with just enough water to cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until cooked through. Lift out the chicken, keep the stock, and shred the meat off the bones.
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2. Bring the coconut milk to a boil, then turn off the heat.
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3. Return the stock to a simmer and whisk in the chickpea paste, whisking until it thickens and is lump-free.
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4. Stir in the hot coconut milk, the shredded chicken and the coarsely chopped onion; keep on low heat and stir now and then so the bottom does not scorch.
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5. Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the finely chopped onion with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli, pepper and salt until fragrant.
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6. Stir the spice mixture into the soup and simmer 10 minutes; oil will rise to the surface.
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7. Meanwhile fry the dry rice noodles in hot oil for a few seconds until they puff, drain on paper, and boil the egg noodles for 5 to 7 minutes until soft; drain.
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8. Put the egg noodles in bowls, ladle over soup and chicken, and top with egg, raw red onion, crisp rice noodles, coriander and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- Chicken amounts differ widely between sources: 196 Flavors uses six chicken thighs for six servings, while a Yangon cook uses only about 200 g of bone-in chicken to flavour the stock; the amount here follows the former. For a thicker soup add more chickpea flour; it loosens on standing, so add water when reheating.
- Another recipe flavours the broth with ngapi (fermented fish or shrimp paste) or fish sauce, about 3 tbsp, and marinates sliced chicken thighs in chilli and paprika; a splash of fish sauce is a fair addition here.
- The related Shan khao swe on this site is a different dish: rice noodles in a clear peppery broth with a tomato sauce.
- Make ahead: the soup and the noodles can be chilled separately; reheat the soup and pour it over the noodles.
Adapted from Otago Daily Times, Burmese coconut soup with noodles (Nanda Wati of Yangon, Flavours of Home, 2012) and 196 flavors, Ohn no kauk swe (chicken quantity, garnishes).
At the festivals
No festival we list has printed it on a menu yet.