These curried noodles have a sourness that we particularly like and the whole dish is power-charged with flavour.
Leave the chicken thighs whole, or cut them in half if they’re big, they’ll stay nice and tender. The curry paste also makes much more that you need but will keep in the fridge for a month, or longer in the freezer. You can of course just buy a paste either.
Wine Suggestion: Despite all the powerful flavours in this dish there is a wine match that works superbly – Dry Tokaji, particularly if the wine is a blend of Furmint and Hárslevelu. Ch. Dereszla Tokaij Dry was at hand, and despite the title is actually off-dry. The Furmint being crisp and creamy with hints of mango and the Hárslevelu, which translates as lime-leaf, bringing a complimentary aromatic lime and peach character. These grapes on their own also work really well with the food so don’t worry if you find a wine with just one of these varietals.
Chiang Mai curried noodles – serves 4
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 75g red curry paste (you can use a bought one, or make the recipe below)
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- 50ml tamarind purée (we make this up using a block of tamarind – put 30g in a small bowl then pour over a little boiling water. Mash with a fork then push through a sieve. You will be left with the seeds which you can discard)
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
- 400ml tin coconut milk
- 100ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- juice of 2 limes
- 700g boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut them in half if they’re huge but otherwise leave whole)
- 300g egg noodles
- coriander leaves, shredded scallions and chopped red chillies to garnish
FOR THE PASTE:
- 2 Mexican dried chillies e.g. ancho/pasilla/gaujilo
- 4 lemongrass stalks, inner part only, finely chopped
- 75g small shallots
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 20g ginger, chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Thai red chillies, seeded
- 1 tbsp coriander root or stems
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
TO MAKE THE PASTE:
Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chillies, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes until very soft, then drain.
Put the soaked chillies into the small bowl of a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and 90ml water. Blend for a few minutes until very fine – you can add a little more water if needed. Scrape into a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge for up to a month or freeze.
TO MAKE THE CURRY:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the curry paste and fry for 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, tamarind and sugar. When the sugar has melted, add the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, soy and lime juice. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the chicken pieces. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Meanwhile, boil the noodles for about 4 minutes or until al dente. Drain the noodles and divide between deep bowls. Ladle the curry over the noodles and top with the coriander, scallions and some chopped red chilli.
(Original recipe from My Asian Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce, Murdoch Books, 2018.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 