Curry Noodles With Chicken (Kuai-Tiao Kaeng Sai Kai) -

Curry Noodles With Chicken (Kuai-Tiao Kaeng Sai Kai)

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: Main

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

1-½ pounds boneless chicken thighs great or breasts (okay)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup coconut cream from the top of a can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste store-bought or 3 tablespoons homemade
2 tablespoons “yellow” curry paste (kari) store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons packed grated palm sugar or 1 ½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1-½ cups coconut milk
3 cups chicken stock sodium-free
6 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into matchsticks 1 inch long and ¼ inch wide and thick
2 teaspoons curry powder
8 ounces mung bean sprouts about 4 cups
8 ounces dried rice sticks 3 millimeters (about ⅛ inch) wide
¼ cup preserved radish finely chopped, optional
¼ cup fried shallots*
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
⅓ cup finely chopped roasted peanuts
2 hard- or medium-boiled eggs peeled and halved lengthwise

Cut the chicken against the grain and on the diagonal into thin, bite-size pieces. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
In a large (1-gallon) saucepan or wok, add the oil, coconut cream, and curry pastes. Stir over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat in the sauce, about one minute. Add the sugar, fish sauce, coconut milk, and stock, stir everything together and bring to a very gentle boil. This should take roughly 10 minutes. Once the chicken is fully cooked through, about 3 more minutes, stir in the sliced tofu and curry powder. Mixing well (but gently) to distribute the curry powder evenly. Lower the heat all the way to the lowest setting; keep the curry warm.

Meanwhile, prepare the hard-boiled eggs and the fried shallots if you haven't already. Chop the preserved radish and roast then chop the peanuts. Prepare any desired vegetables.
Take out 4 large individual serving bowls. Fill another large (1-gallon) saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the bean sprouts, stir, and then immediately remove them with a wire-mesh skimmer. Shake off any excess water, then divide the bean sprouts evenly among the bowls.
Keeping the water boiling, add the dried noodles, stir to submerge, and cook until they have softened through, about 10-15 minutes (this will depend on brand/freshness). Taste a noodle strand a few minutes prior to when you think they should be done. Once cooked, drain the cooked noodles through a large colander placed in the sink. Run hot tap water over the cooked noodles to rinse off excess starchy liquid. Shake off the water and divide the noodles evenly amount the 4 bowls.

Immediately ladle the curry over the noodles, dividing it evenly. Sprinkle each serving with an equal amount of the radish, fried shallots, cilantro, and peanuts. Top each serving with an egg half. Serve immediately with the highly recommended table-side seasonings: limes, fish sauce, peanut butter, extra chopped peanuts, sugar, and red chile powder for adding as desired.