Khao poun kai - le délice laotien 😋​

Ingredients

• 4 pieces Chicken Thighs (bone‑in, skin‑on for tenderness)
• 2 liters Water (for broth)
• 1 tablespoon Salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 stalks Lemongrass (bruised and knotted)
• 4 slices Galangal (fresh, about 2 cm each)
• 5 leaves Kaffir Lime Leaves (torn roughly)
• 2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste (Thai style)
• 800 ml Coconut Milk (full‑fat, two 400 ml cans)
• 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce (Thai fish sauce)
• 1 tablespoon Fermented Fish Sauce (Padek) (optional, for authentic flavor)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar (balances saltiness)
• 1 cup Bamboo Shoots (sliced, drained)
• 200 g Rice Vermicelli (dried rice noodles)
• 1 piece Cucumber (peeled, cut into 2 mm sticks)
• 1 piece Carrot (peeled, sliced <1 mm then julienned)
• 0.5 head Cabbage (white or red) (shredded fine)
• 0.25 cup Fresh Mint Leaves (loosely packed)
• 0.25 cup Fresh Coriander Leaves (stems coarsely chopped, leaves whole)
• 2 stalks Scallions (Green Onions) (sliced thin)
• 3 cloves Garlic (crushed)
• 1 piece Shallot (finely chopped)
• 2 pieces Dried Chilies (optional) (fried in oil for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (neutral oil for sautéing)

Instructions

1. Make the Chicken Broth

   Place chicken thighs, water, bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal, torn kaffir lime leaves and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium‑high heat, skim off any foam, then cover and reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: medium‑high to simmer

2. Prepare the Fresh Vegetables

   While the broth simmers, peel the cucumber and cut into 2 mm sticks, julienne the carrot, shred the cabbage, slice the remaining kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chop coriander stems, tear mint leaves, slice scallions, crush the garlic and finely chop the shallot.

   Time: PT15M

3. Cook the Rice Vermicelli

   Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the rice vermicelli and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Drain in a sieve, rinse under cold running water and toss lightly to keep the noodles from sticking together.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: boiling

4. Create the Curry Base

   Heat a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil and sauté the crushed garlic and chopped shallot for about 30 seconds. Stir in the red curry paste and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in 400 ml coconut milk, bring to a gentle boil and reduce by half (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining 400 ml coconut milk and set aside.

   Time: PT8M

   Temperature: medium

5. Finish the Soup Broth

   Remove the cooked chicken thighs, lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves from the pot. Discard the skin and shred the chicken meat using a mortar and pestle or two forks. Stir the prepared curry‑coconut mixture into the broth, return the shredded chicken, add the sliced bamboo shoots, 1 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp fish sauce (plus optional 1 tbsp padek). Adjust seasoning if needed and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: high to boil

6. Assemble and Serve

   Divide the raw vegetable mix into four serving bowls. Add three generous portions of the cooled vermicelli to each bowl, then top with mint leaves, coriander, and sliced scallions. Ladle hot broth over the noodles and vegetables. Garnish with fried dried chilies if desired. Mix well before eating.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: hot broth

Nutrition Facts

Calories

630

Protein

40 g

Carbohydrates

85 g

Fat

45 g

Fiber

5 g