Khao Soi – My Chiang Mai Memories

 Khao soi is one of those dishes that instantly brings me back to Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai mornings, the smell of curry drifting from small street kitchens, plastic stools, metal tables, and bowls that warm your hands as much as your soul. This is my personal version of khao soi, not strictly orthodox, but deeply respectful of the spirit of the dish.

I combine beef and pork meatballs with shrimps, push the chilli a little further than usual, and finish generously with fresh cilantro. It is rich, fragrant, comforting, and unapologetically spicy.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

For the curry base • 2 tbsp red curry paste (Northern Thai style if possible) • 1 tsp ground coriander • 1 tsp ground turmeric • 1/2 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp chilli flakes (or more, to taste) • 400 ml coconut milk • 300 ml chicken stock • 1 tbsp fish sauce (plus more to adjust) • 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar

For the proteins • 200 g beef meatballs • 200 g pork meatballs • 150 g raw shrimps, peeled and deveined

For the noodles • 250 g fresh egg noodles • Neutral oil for frying a small portion of noodles

Garnishes • Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped • Extra chilli flakes • Pickled mustard greens (optional but very traditional) • Lime wedges • Thinly sliced shallots or red onion

Method

1. Prepare the crispy noodles Cook the egg noodles in boiling water until just tender. Drain well. Take a small handful and fry in hot oil until golden and crispy. Reserve the rest for the soup.

2. Build the curry In a pot over medium heat, spoon off the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk and cook it gently with the curry paste. Stir until fragrant and slightly oily. Add coriander, turmeric, cumin and chilli flakes.

3. Create the broth Pour in the remaining coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste and balance salty, sweet and spicy.

4. Cook the meatballs Add the beef and pork meatballs to the simmering curry. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until cooked through and tender.

5. Add the shrimps Add the shrimps during the last 2–3 minutes of cooking. They should stay juicy and just cooked.

6. Assemble Divide the soft noodles between bowls. Ladle over the curry, meatballs and shrimps. Top with crispy noodles, cilantro, extra chilli flakes, pickled greens and sliced onion. Serve with lime on the side.

Notes from Chiang Mai

Khao soi is not about strict rules. The original has both boiled and crispy fried noodles. Every bowl I had in Chiang Mai was slightly different. Some sweeter, some fierier, some heavier on coconut, others sharper with lime and pickle. This version reflects my taste and my memories: heat-forward, aromatic, generous.

Close your eyes while eating it. If it is done right, you are no longer in your kitchen. You are back under the northern Thai sun, spoon in hand, sweat on your forehead, completely happy.

This bowl is a tribute to Chiang Mai, to the simplicity of Thai street food, and to the freedom every cook should allow themselves. Recipes travel, memories evolve, and flavours adapt. What matters is not authenticity at all costs, but sincerity.

This khao soi is mine. Built from memory, instinct, and appetite ( and what I had on hand ). And that, in the end, is the most Thai thing of all.

Here is another great Thai dish by Lesley:

Haw Mok