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. My family has asked me to post it on the blog many times because it is a favorite and a regular in our dinner rotation.

History

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 easy and if not an under 30 minute meal, it is a very low supervision one. If you have an Instant Pot, it will be even faster. A slow cooker can also have your meat cooked and ready after a long day’s work. Then all you have to do is make the coconut curry and boil some noodles.

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 and if I can take short cuts in cooking, I’m all for it!

My version

I make the beef / chicken curry separately without the onions. This curry  is drier but the coconut curry more than makes up for it.

Although Ali and the kids have theirs with whole grain spaghetti ( yup, got them off of the white stuff!)  being gluten free, I eat mine with zucchini noodles aka zoodles or even spaghetti squash. I have tried it with brown rice noodles, chickpea noodles and even brown rice when I don’t have the time or inclination to spiralize. Egg noodles and rice noodles are also great options and closer to the original recipe. I just grew up eating it with spaghetti and that’s the way I make mine.

One interesting thing that has happened lately is that my boys see me eat the way I do and have asked to try the zoodles and actually liked it! I don’t know if they will ever forgo the pasta in their Khao Suey but hey, it’s a start!

To bring some crunch to the dish,  I sprinkle some peanuts on top. The options are endless as far as the condiments go and it’s the condiments that add a ton of flavor to this dish.

Continue to Content

Yield: 4-6

Khao Suey

Print

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

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil
• 2 pounds stew beef or chicken (breast, tenders or boneless thighs all work well) cubed 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 chile powder
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Condiments

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

Instructions

1. Heat the oil on medium and add meat along with the ginger and garlic
2. Stir to coat and add all the spices
3. Add tomato sauce and lower flame and cover the pan
4. Beef takes around 40 minutes to cook and chicken a little less
5. 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
6. Make the coconut curry
7. In a pan, heat the oil on medium high heat and put the fenugreek seeds in
8. Add the curry leaves and saute till the aroma is released
9. Add all the spices and gram flour
10. Stir fry for about a minute and add coconut milk and water
11. Lower the heat and cover the pot to let the curry cook
12. Check in after 5 minutes. The curry is ready once thick
13. Prep the condiments
14. Boil the eggs and dice
15. Cut the lemon into wedges
16. Chop the green chiles and cilantro
17. 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
18. Stir and switch off the heat
19. Plate the spaghetti
20. Put a generous helping of coconut curry, a serving of beef and garnish with the desired condiments
21. Enjoy warm and watch for the splattering
22. I would highly recommend a napkin!

Notes

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!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @eatdrinkpure on Instagram and hashtag it #eatdrinkpure so that I can see your creations!

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