Khanom Jeen Nam Ya
Delicate rice noodles topped with a fragrant, aromatic Thai fish curry sauce and shredded chicken. This beloved street-food classic is impressive yet simple to execute at home.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 8 ounces cooked shredded chicken breast
- 8 ounces fresh khanom jeen noodles or thin rice noodles
- ¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and cut it lengthwise from one end to the other into strips about the thickness of a pencil, then tear each strip into shreds with your fingers until the entire breast looks like thin, ragged strings.
- 2
If using fresh khanom jeen noodles, gently separate them into 2 loose nests with your fingers; if using dried rice noodles, measure out 8 ounces and set aside.
- 3
Pick the leaves from the Thai basil stems and place them in a small bowl; do the same with the cilantro, keeping the two herbs in separate bowls for garnish.
- 4
Pour the coconut milk into a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat; stir once every 10 seconds and watch until small bubbles form around the edges and it smells rich and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- 5
Add 3 tablespoons of red curry paste directly to the hot coconut milk and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 60 seconds, breaking up any lumps, until the paste is fully mixed and the sauce looks uniform and darker.
- 6
Pour in 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and stir for 15 seconds until completely blended.
- 7
Add 1 tablespoon of palm sugar and stir for 20 seconds until the sugar dissolves and you no longer see any crystals in the sauce.
- 8
Squeeze 1 tablespoon of lime juice into the sauce and stir for 10 seconds, then taste a tiny spoonful; the sauce should smell bright, aromatic, slightly salty, and a little bit tangy.
- 9
Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir gently with a wooden spoon for 60 seconds until the chicken is warmed through and coated with the curry sauce.
- 10
Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water and place it over high heat; wait until large, rolling bubbles break the surface constantly, about 8 minutes.
- 11
Carefully add the noodles to the boiling water (fresh noodles will float immediately; dried noodles will sink then float after 1–2 minutes); stir gently once with chopsticks or a fork to prevent sticking.
- 12
Cook fresh noodles for 1 minute or dried noodles for 3–4 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the noodles are tender but still have a slight bite when you pinch one between your teeth.
- 13
Pour the noodles into a colander (a bowl with holes) and rinse under cold running water for 10 seconds, gently stirring with your fingers to remove excess starch, until the water runs clear.
- 14
Divide the drained noodles evenly between 2 bowls, arranging them in a loose pile in the center of each bowl.
- 15
Pour half of the curry sauce with chicken over each mound of noodles, distributing the sauce and chicken evenly so they cover the top.
- 16
Scatter roughly half of the Thai basil leaves over the surface of each bowl in a single layer, then do the same with the cilantro leaves.
- 17
Serve immediately while the noodles are still warm and the sauce is steaming.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- medium saucepan
- wooden spoon
- small bowls (2)
- large pot
- colander
- chopsticks or fork
- serving bowls (2)
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