There are few things as comforting as a big bowl of chicken noodle soup, but if you’re craving something truly soul-satisfying, Burmese noodle soup—khao suey—is unmatched. For the uninitiated, khao suey is a spicy, coconut milk-based broth with boneless chicken, lamb, or pork and an array of accompaniments. The toppings are the best part of the dish because you can fix the soup according to your taste. Khao suey is as common as maacher jhol or biryani in Kolkata. Every home has its version, but the basics remain the same. The differences lie in the amount and type of accompaniments and the thickness of the soup, or the amount of coconut milk used. While some serve roasted peanuts, others choose a shredded boiled egg, fish sauce, or sautéed shrimp as toppings. How did a Burmese noodle soup become so common in Kolkata? The answer lies in history: during World War II, many Indians working in Myanmar (then Burma) returned home, bringing the recipe with them. My maternal grandmother lived in Myanmar for many years, and we follow her recipe religiously. I remember relishing khao suey in Kolkata homes, including my own, some four decades ago. But it's only since 2005 or so that it started appearing in restaurant menus in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. As we say, what Bengal does today, the rest of India embraces decades later. Much like Parsi dhansak, khao suey is rarely found in its original form in its homeland. Dhansak is primarily reserved for funerals in Parsi homes. Similarly, you’ll be hard-pressed to find Khao Suey in Burma. Khao suey simply means “rice noodles”. The coconut milk version so loved in India is actually a twist on “ohn no khao suey,” a Southern Myanmarese noodle soup, but the resemblance is minimal and is found practically nowhere in the country of its origin. Other countries have their adaptations: in Laos, khao soi is a hearty soup with broad noodles, pork, and soybeans, topped with coriander and bean sprouts. During my research, I was surprised to discover that khao suey is closely linked to the Memoni Muslim dish, khausa. The Memons, traders from Gujarat, would travel to British-occupied Burma pre-Independence to trade in textile, oil, and paper. Many Memons returned to India in 1947 and in the 60s during the Burmese unrest owing to the military. They brought with them the khausa. Unlike the rice noodles in khao suey, khausa uses Italian-style wheat spaghetti, topped with boneless chicken curry cooked in yoghurt, coconut milk, and gram flour, and garnished with green chilies, julienned ginger, and crispy fried dough strips. My great aunt’s cook used to make khao suey with handmade flat egg noodles, which elevated the taste as the noodles would soak up the gravy. On that sentimental note, here's my family recipe for khao suey. I don't know how authentic it is, but I do know that my friends and family lick the bowl clean every time. If you stick to the recipe, you shouldn't fare too badly. All the measurements are approximations. Tweak the ingredients to your taste. If you'd like it less spicy, leave out the chili powder. And if you'd like it thicker, increase the quantity of coconut milk. You can even thicken it the traditional way by adding two tablespoons of besan or gram flour or ground chana dal. Recipe: One packet of egg noodles (egg noodles tend to soak up the soup best, but you can use normal rice noodles as well) 2 tbsps garlic paste 2 tbsps ginger paste 2 onions (paste) 2 tomatoes (skinned and pureed) 2 tsp red chili powder 500 ml coconut milk 250 gms boneless chicken or lamb chopped into small pieces around 1 inch in length and thickness 1 tsp freshly ground garam masala (equal portions cinnamon, cardamom and clove) Salt to taste For vegetarians: replace the chicken with chopped mushrooms, brinjals and cottage cheese or paneer Accompaniments (the best part of the soup): 1 small bowl chopped spring onions 1 small bowl lemon wedges 1 small bowl chili flakes 1 small bowl roasted garlic 1 small bowl crisply fried baby prawns 1 small bowl sliced boiled egg 1 small bowl chopped coriander 1 small bowl chopped green chilis Recipe: Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a pan. Add the onion and ginger and garlic pastes. Sauté till they change colour. Add the chili powder. Keep sautéing. Then add the chicken/lamb pieces. If you are making the vegetarian version, add the vegetables now. Keep sautéing until the chicken changes colour and is coated with the pastes. Then add the tomato puree and salt to taste. Sauté until the tomato puree is cooked through. Then pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil once and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the garam masala powder at the end and salt to taste, stir and take off the flame. In the meantime, boil the noodles. To serve: Each person should have a large soup bowl, in which they take one serving of noodles. They may top it up with as much soup as they want, and the accompaniments of their choice. The lime should be squeezed on the individual soup servings. We usually serve this at home with spring rolls and steamed momos. If you can't be bothered to make it at home and you happen to find yourself in Calcutta––the city of joy and good food––simply get yourself invited to a resident Calcuttan’s house. Next week, since it’s getting cooler and cooler, I thought I’d talk about that other soup favourite – the thupka.
