There are several ingredients that are commonplace in Asian cooking. One of the star ingredients is coconut milk. You’d find plenty of curries, gravies, and noodle-based dishes cooked in this creamy milk. The result of the obsession with coconut milk gave us the delicious khow suey. The Burmese delicacy is believed to have originated in Myanmar and brought to East India post World War II. That’s how it got its name and delicious flavour.
The dish is made with lots of green vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, as well as baby corn. The creamy base of the gravy is made with coconut milk, after which the vegetables and rice noodles are dunked into the curry. You can also add protein like chicken to the dish to make it even more wholesome. The dish is loaded with lots of condiments like fried garlic and chillies to add flavour to the dish.
To satiate your cravings and enjoy a creamy and heavenly lunch, here’s an authentic khow suey recipe by Chef Renu Dalal.
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients:
For the curry:
• 2 cups boiled hakka noodles
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• Salt to taste
For the paste:
• ¼ cup grated coconut
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
• ½ tbsp jeera (cumin seeds)
• ¼ inch piece of ginger
• 3 Kashmiri mirchis
• ½ black pepper
• ¾ tbsp chopped garlic
• ¼ tsp dhania powder
• 1½ tbsp water
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 bay leaves tejpata
• 3 curry leaves
• 4 tbsp chopped onion
• ½ chopped tomato
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 cups mixed boiled vegetables (cauliflower, French beans, carrots)
• Salt, to taste
Accompaniments:
• 1 cup sliced and fried onions
• ½ cup sliced and fried garlic
• ½ cup sliced spring onions (green part)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped coriander
• Chilli powder
Method:
For the hakka noodles:
• In a non-stick vessel, heat the sesame oil, saute the noodles for half a minute and add salt to taste.
For the paste:
• Grind all the ingredients together to make a paste.
For assembly:
• In a non-stick vessel, heat the oil.
• Add the onions, tejpata, curry leaves, tomato and saute for half a minute.
• Add the paste and saute for 15 seconds.
• Add the vegetables and saute for 15 seconds.
• Add the coconut curry and cook for 3 minutes.
• Place the hakka noodles, curry and all the accompaniments in different bowls.
To serve:
• In a bowl place the hakka noodles, curry and add accompaniments of your choice.