Khao Suey (Burmese Curry Noodles)

Khao Suey or Burmese Curry Noodles is a family favorite recipe! Our Khao Suey recipe is made with a coconut milk curry and seasoned meat curry served over noodles for the ultimate bowl of comfort!

Kadhi Khao Suey – this dish is so special to our family. This is one dish that we have always associated with celebrations at home!

Food is and always has been a big way for our family to celebrate, birthdays, milestones like graduations, or awards, any other special occasion.

This dish the number ONE requested recipe in our family growing up.

As much as we love this Chicken Biryani, this was the meal we would request for every occasion, Sunday dinners, birthdays, celebrating any milestones, or just because!

Our connection to this Burmese Dish

More importantly, our family has a special connection to Burma. My dad’s family lived there for a while, before having to tragically flea when he was 10 years old.

Over the years, I’ve heard my aunts, and uncles talk fondly about their time in Burma, where most of them spent their childhoods. We still refer to many of them with their chosen Burmese names, rather than actual names!

This particular dish forms a special connection for many of them to those times. My dad recalls enjoying this dish, not at home, but as street food.

Of course, since they left Burma, there were numerous attempts to recreate this dish.

Over time, through sharing techniques, and depending on the availability of ingredients, everyone has developed different variations of this dish.

This dish is particularly popular in many Indian and Pakistani communities, with each community creating their own distinct variation to this dish!

As a foodie, my dad is particularly critical of this dish, every time mom cooks it! Over the years, this Khao Suey recipe has been perfected with a lot of care. We guarantee you will love it!

I can’t comment on the authenticity of this Burmese dish, but I can tell you, I have yet to meet someone who dislikes this Kadhi Khao Suey!

What is Khao Suey?

Kadhi Khao Suey, is our take on Burmese curry noodles. It’s similar to Khao Soi from Thailand, or Laksa from Malaysia.

There are multiple components to this dish:

• Noodles – the base
• Kadhi – Coconut milk curry
• Burma Saag – Meat curry
• Garnishes and Condiments

Noodles

First, there are the noodles. We use spaghetti in our family. But you could also use rice noodles as a base.

Coconut Curry

Then there’s the coconut curry. This coconut curry is cooked over a very low flame, for a long period of time. It’s a simple curry, getting a bit of tang and yellow color from turmeric, and thickened with chick pea flour, so it’s got an earthy taste from that.

Burma Saag – Meat Curry / Sauce

Lastly, there is the meat curry. This is what typically what steals the show. It’s made with a lot of onion, garlic, chili, and is really a flavor punch!

Any leftover Burma Saag can also be used over plain pasta for leftover meals!

Garnishes/Condiments

This is one dish where the garnishes are not afterthought, but are integral to the dish itself!

Using some fried noodles, or raw onions adds crunch; while green onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon provide some freshness.

When you put it together with some crunchy garnishes for texture, you get a balanced, indulgent bowl of comfort!

How to make Khao Suey?

In our family, Kadhi Khao Suey is best enjoyed on those slow days at home. Admittedly to get good Kadhi Khao Suey, you need time. Time to let the coconut curry cook, to get the spicy flavor from the meat curry.

Kadhi for Khao Suey  (Coconut Curry)

The coconut curry only uses 4 ingredients – coconut milk, chickpea flour, turmeric, and salt.

Start by adding together the chickpea flour, turmeric with a half cup of water to a blender to make a smooth mixture.

Then then this to a pot along with coconut milk on low heat.

The trick is to cook it for as long as possible, at the lowest heat.

You don’t want the coconut milk to separate, but rather continue cooking until it the chickpea flour cooks and thickens the coconut milk.

Continue to let it cook on low heat, for as long as two hours if you can!

Burma Saag (Meat Curry)

This is the flavor punch of the dish. The chicken is cooked in a lot of onion, garlic, and red chili! Don’t skimp on any of this, it just will not be the same!

For this Burma Saag (Meat Curry) start by soaking whole red chilies and peeled garlic cloves in a bowl with just enough water to submerge the garlic and chilis.

Keep aside for a couple of hours, or microwave for 1-2 mins if in a hurry. Add to a blender, and blend it into a paste. We love this blender!

Then, in a saucepan, on medium heat, add the oil, red chili, and garlic paste. Cook on low heat until oil separates.

Then add the grounded onion, and cook for a few minute until fragrant.

Next add the chicken, soy sauce, salt, and turmeric. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes.

Then, cover cook on low heat for about 20 minutes until the chicken has fully cooked!

Serve Kadhi Khao Suey

Typically, when serving the dish, we serve it as it’s components – the noodles, the kadhi, and the burma saag separately. There are always a lot of options for garnishes.

A few ideas are:

• crunchy noodles,
• green onions,
• red chili flakes
• raw onions
• lemon
• cilantro

This is a dish that everyone can make their own. Put together their own bowl/plate of Kadhi Khao Suey and settle into a delicious bowl of comfort as a family! You can trust that there are always seconds and thirds to be had!

Enjoy this dish on your next family dinner, or just anytime you need a bit of slow-cooked comfort food!

This dish is best served as a meal on it’s own, but for Dawats (dinner parties/gatherings), you can pair it with a simple appetizer:

• Potato chops: Indian Style Meat and Potato Croquettes
• Keema Paratha: Pakistani Stuffed Meat Pockets
• Ground Beef Cutlets: Spiced Pakistani Beef Burgers/Kababs

If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess

Ready to make Khao Suey?