Khao Suey

Ok so this recipe is a long time coming! I have been meaning to post it for a while since I make it often enough. I just never got around to it but a comment I made on Instagram about sharing Khao Suey with friends sparked so much interest that I decided it was time to share my recipe. 

WHAT IS KHAO SUEY

Khao Suey is a 3 component one dish wonder! The noodles, the beef/chicken curry and the coconut curry. Topped with a bunch of garnishes. 

Khao Suey originated in Burma but is extremely popular in the rest of South Asia or at least in Pakistan where I grew up. This one dish wonder came to India with the Indians that migrated from Burma during World War 2. There are many different versions of Khao Suey and I actually grew up eating one that is somewhat different to the one I make today. This one is easier to make in that there is very little sautéing involved. 

The Khao Suey I grew up eating was one curry. It entailed sautéing onions and adding the coconut milk to the meat curry. It was just as delicious but a lot of work (I’ll do anything to skip the browning onion step!) and if I can take short cuts in cooking, I’m all for it!

HOW TO MAKE KHAO SUEY

Beef/chicken curry: This curry is drier but the coconut curry more than makes up for it. 

Coconut Curry: The second component of this dish is a runny coconut milk based curry with gram flour to thicken it. More like a broth, it gives the dish a soupy vibe. 

Noodles: Many use egg noodles for Khao Suey but I use regular durum semolina spaghetti for the family. For myself, since I avoid gluten, I make zucchini noodles or even use spaghetti squash as my base. I have tried Khao Suey with chickpea noodles and even white or brown rice noodles when I don’t have the time or inclination to spiralize the zucchini.  

Garnish: There are as many garnish options as there are versions of Khao Suey. Everything from boiled eggs to crispy fried noodles. I have a few options below that I now add to my own bowl but authentic Khao Suey calls for boiled eggs, red pepper flakes, crunchy deep fried noodles, cilantro and green onions. But you do you!

GARNISHING THE CURRY

Boiled eggs I love adding boiled eggs. You can mash them or dice them. The choice is yours.

Green onions Spring/green onions sliced thin. 

Green chilies You can use any you have on hand. I switch between Thai, Jalapeno or Serrano. It also depends on how much heat you prefer.

Cilantro Chop it up fine.

Crushed red pepper The original recipe calls for chili oil but you can use crushed red pepper if in a pinch.

Peanuts To bring some crunch to the dish, the authentic recipe calls for deep fried noodles but I sprinkle some crushed peanuts instead. You can even fry some onions and sprinkle those on top.

The options are endless as far as the condiments go and it’s the condiments that give an added layer of flavor to this dish so make it your own! 

So there you have it, my Khao Suey recipe. I want to acknowledge my aunt Nuzhat who is the creator of this recipe. I just changed it up to suit my lifestyle.

Do you make Khao Suey? If you haven’t ever tried the dish, do give this a try and let me know how you like it! Tag me on IG @eatdrinkpure to show me your creations! I love to see you guys make my recipes!

Like coconut recipes? Try my Healthier Coconut Truffles

Khao Suey

This meaty coconut curry noodle dish is hearty and soupy and bursting with flavor. A family favorite, it is a regular in my home.

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Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr

Total Time:1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Pakistani, Indian, South Asian

Keyword: burmese cuisine, khao suey, noodle curry

Servings: 6

Author: Zeeshan Shah

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil
• 1 1/2 pounds stew beef cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 inch piece ginger grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

Coconut Curry

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 4-5 fenugreek seeds
• 1 tablespoon gram flour
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 13.5 ounces can coconut milk
• 1 cup water

Condiments

• 1 boiled egg
• 1 green chili Jalapeno, Thai, Serrano , chopped
• Cilantro chopped
• Red pepper flakes
• Fried onions
• Nut of choice for crunch peanut, almond, cashew
• 1 lemon or lime cut into wedges

Instructions

• Heat the oil on medium high heat and add the ginger and garlic
• Stir for a few seconds and add the meat
• Stir to coat the meat and saute for a minute till the beef changes color
• And the spices and saute the meat and spices about 30 seconds
• Add tomato sauce and stir to coat everything
• Lower the heat to low and cover the pan to let the meat cook
• Beef takes around 40 minutes to cook
• While the beef is cooking, boil the noodles. Follow directions on the packet. Make it gluten free by using rice noodles instead of wheat and for the zoodles, use an inspiralizer to spiralise 2 zucchinis. Put aside
• Make the coconut curry
• In a pan, heat the oil on medium high heat and put the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves in
• Stir for about 30 seconds
• Add all the spices and gram flour
• Saute for another 30 seconds and add the coconut milk and water
• Lower the heat to low and let the curry cook uncovered
• While the curry is cooking, prep the condiments
• Boil the eggs and mash or dice
• Cut the lemon into wedges
• Chop the green chiles and cilantro
• Check the coconut curry. The curry is ready once thick. Switch off the heat and set aside
• Once the beef is cooked through and soft, uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium high and let the water evaporate and oil rise to the top
• Stir and switch off the heat
• Plate the spaghetti
• Put a generous helping of coconut curry, a serving size spoon of beef and garnish with the desired condiments
• Enjoy warm and watch for the splattering!
• I would highly recommend a napkin!

Notes

If using chicken (breast, tenders or boneless thighs all work well) the cook time will vary. I have found it takes around 20 - 30 minutes depending on your cut of meat.

Whole 30 Compliance

If you are following the Whole 30 protocol:

• Bypass making the coconut curry separately and add the can of coconut milk straight to the meat curry in step 3 along with the tomato sauce
• The original recipe calls for crisp noodles as condiment for a crunch. I use peanuts instead. Make it Whole 30 compliant by switching out the peanuts with crushed cashews or slivered almonds!