Hereโs my vegetarian version of the hearty Burmese khow suey! Learn how to get the authentic Burmese curry broth flavours, so you can tuck into this warm bowl of comfort food whenever you want a pick-me-up!
Whenever we visit an Asian restaurant, I insist on ordering the Khow Suey (curry noodle soup) just because itโs one of those meal experiences that I can build on my own. So it shouldn't really come as a surprise that I had to try recreating my very own Burmese khow suey recipe at home for you guys!
This Khow Suey recipe looks a mellow yellow but itโs bursting with flavour! Featuring bold Southeast Asian flavours from the curry paste, the creaminess from the coconut milk and lots of texture from the fried noodles - this Burmese Khow Suey is a complete flavour bomb in a bowl!
Quick Walk Through: Burmese Khow Suey
This Vegetarian Burmese Khow Suey has a bunch of elements in it, which need to be made separately. I am breaking it down for you so that you can see that while the ingredient list looks long, the dish is actually quite easy to put together!
Curry Paste for Khow Suey
This paste forms the base of the Khow Suey and gives it that distinct flavour. It uses typically Asian fresh ingredients like garlic, ginger, coriander stems (donโt throw them away, they pack in so much flavour!), peppercorn and green chillies (Full list in the recipe card below). These ingredients pack a punch into the dish. Grind these ingredients into a fine paste and keep aside.
Coconut Broth
The broth is what delivers the body and soupy consistency to this Burmese Khow Suey. It's responsible for making this dish so hearty and comforting. We start by cooking the curry paste with more aromatics, gram flour to thicken and for that nutty flavour, and water or veg stock. Allow this broth to simmer for about 20 minutes with veggies. At the very end, add coconut milk and mix it well.ย
The Noodles
This is by far the simplest part of the process. I like using egg noodles which are available easily in Indian supermarkets, but to make it vegan you can use plain flour or rice noodles. You can also choose options like ramen noodles or angel hair noodles.
Toppings
The toppings are my favourite part! I go crazy with these haha! Hereโs a list of toppings you can add to your Khow Suey:
- Fried shallots or onions
- Sliced Onions
- Fried or fresh Ginger
- Fried Garlic Chips
- Finely chopped green chillies
- Lemon wedges
- Spring onions
- Crushed chilli flakes
- Chopped coriander or cilantro
- Crispy fried noodles or wonton strips
- Chopped or coarsely powdered groundnuts (Whole groundnuts will also do)
Frequently Asked Questions
If you order this at a restaurant, youโll be served a big bowl of Khow Suey with several mini bowls full of toppings like crunchy groundnuts, burnt garlic and ginger, crispy noodles and shallots. These little additions make the entire Khow Suey eating experience so much fun. Just place some big bowls of toppings next to this steaming hot soup, and sit back and watch as the food disappears in a matter of seconds!
Top Tips To Make The Best Khow Suey At Home
- While this is a vegetarian recipe, feel free to add your choice of protein like chicken, prawns and boiled, halved eggs. These are all yummy additions to this bowl of coconut-ty goodness.
- If want more heat in your khow suey, drizzle a bit of chilli oil
- Make sure you splash some cold water on the noodles after draining them. Mushy noodles are never nice to eat, so don't overcook them.ย
This dish is great for both situations - when you have a big gang over or if itโs date night with your loved one. Tell me your happy and hearty Khow Suey experiences in the comments section!
Watch Burmese Khow Suey Recipe Video
Vegan Khow Suey
Ingredients
Curry Paste
- 8-10 cloves Garlic
- ยฝ tablespoon Ginger
- 3 tablespoon Coriander stems only
- ยฝ teaspoon Whole Coriander Seeds
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Turmeric
- 2 Shallots
- ยฝ teaspoon Whole Peppercorns
- 2 Green Chillies
Coconut Broth
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 4-6 Garlic sliced
- 3-4 Shallots sliced
- 2 Birds Eye Chillies slit lengthwise
- 8-10 Curry Leaves
- 4 cup (24.62 floz) Vegetable Broth/Water
- 2 tablespoon Besan Gram flour
- 2 stalks Lemongrass white part only
- โ cup Carrot thickly sliced
- ยผ cup Green Beans cut into 1 inch pieces
- โ cup Bell Pepper diced
- ยฝ cup Mushroom quartered
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ยฝ cup cubed Tofu
- 1ยฝ cups Thick Coconut Milk
Noodles
- 250 gram (4.17 cups) Noodles
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Toppings
- 2-3 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- ยผ cup Shallots thinly sliced
- 1 inch piece Ginger julienned
- 1 tablespoon Garlic thinly sliced
- โ cup cooked Noodles
- ยผ cup Groundnuts (peeled)
- 3 Green Chillies thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
Curry Paste
- Grind all the ingredients into a smooth paste using a blender or food processor. Add a little water while blending. Set aside.
Coconut Broth
- Use a mortar and pestle to lightly crush the lemongrass for the broth.
- Heat oil in a large pot or wok. Add the garlic and sautรฉ lightly. As the garlic begins to gain colour, add the shallots, fresh red chilli and curry leaves. Stir and sautรฉ for 2-4 minutes until the shallots become slightly translucent.
- Add the ground paste and cook over a medium flame for 4-5 minutes or until the raw smell goes away. Add the gram flour and stir to combine. Cook further for 2 more minutes, stirring continuously. Slowly add the vegetable broth and keep mixing till there are no lumps.
- Add the vegetables, crushed lemongrass, soy sauce, salt and simmer for 20 minutes and let the flavours infuse well in the broth. You can simmer it for longer for a more intense flavour.
- Add tofu and coconut milk and mix well. Turn off the flame and set aside to serve.
Noodles
- In a stockpot, bring water to a boil. Add some salt and oil to the water to prevent noodles from sticking. Add the noodles and follow the package instructions to cook it.
- In the absence of cooking instructions, simply add the noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the noodles are soft but still have a slight bite to it. Drain the noodles and give it a quick rinse in cold running water and set aside.
Toppings
- Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add sliced shallots and fry till it becomes golden brown. Use a skimmer to remove the shallots and place over a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- In the same pan, add garlic and fry till it browns. Remove and place over a paper towel.
- Now add ginger and fry it for a minute till the ginger softens. Remove and place over a paper towel.
- Next fry the noodles till golden brown to make it crunchy. Remove and place over a paper towel.
- Wipe down the pan and add the groundnuts and lightly dry roast them for 1-2 minutes and keep aside.
Serving
- To serve, assemble all the toppings on a serving platter. Arrange a bowl with fresh noodles, top it over with the coconut milk broth and add your choice of toppings and enjoy it hot!
Video
Notes
- Lemongrassย use fresh lemongrass to make the broth as it is imperative to the flavour of the dish. If you can't get your hands on fresh lemongrass, use dry lemongrass leaves. Tie them up in a muslin cloth and simmer along with the broth, discard before serving.ย
- Toppings the toppings can vary based on your taste. You can also add sautรฉed chicken or prawns if you like to make it a whole meal.ย
- Gram flourย is used in this recipe not just for thickening but also adds to the flavour. If you don't have gram flour, you can use cornflour.ย
- Vegetable Broth as this is a vegan recipe, I've used vegetable broth. It can be substituted with chicken broth as well. You can even use ready store-bought boullion or stock cubes, dissolved in water.ย
Akshata Karanth says
This recipe has now become a recurring dish in our household. Super tasty!
Richa says
I'm so so happy you enjoyed this
Leni says
This is an amazing recipie, very flavorful and lots of different textures, the freshness of the lime and coriander, the crunch of the onions, loaded with lots of veggies cooked in coconut milk. Simply delicious ๐โค๏ธ
Richa says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it Leni!
Pragathi says
Your recipe looks wonderful, since I have a hard core nonveg family, please do let me know exactly when do I add the chicken and should it be cooked before adding it to the broth.
Richa says
Hey Pragathi, you can add chicken along with the veggies
Kinnar says
Bloody delicious! Matches the dish you get at any good restaurant! ๐
Richa says
Thanks so much Kinnar! Really happy you liked the recipe
Trushti says
Loved the dish. Such a simple recipe to follow. The flavours are just right ๐ perfect one pot meal for the winters ...
Richa says
Thank you Trushti! So happy you enjoyed it
Sonia says
I loved it..Always had khow suey at restaurants. You made it look so easy so had to give it a shot and it turned out simply awesome. My kids are hooked to it. Thank you very much and keep sharing.
Richa Gupta says
Yes, khow suey is a super fun dish for kids to enjoy! Glad they liked it, Sonia!
Ratna says
Had been searching for a good khow suey recipe for a long time and this is by far the best! I made it with chicken today and it came out excellent! My family loved it.
The ingredients and measurements were perfect. Thank you for this recipe!
Richa Gupta says
You are most welcome, Ratna! We're thrilled that you and your folks liked our khow suey recipe! Yay!
Pria says
My daughter is allergic to gram flour. Can I replace that with something else?
Richa says
Sure, you can use maida instead
PV says
I tried out the recipe exactly as the protocol and the Khao suey was amazing!! Craving totally quenched.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with such precision!
Richa says
Wohooo! Thank you so much PV! Glad you liked it
Pooja says
Yes! Its an amazing,healthy and very satisfying meal!! Learnt it from a Burmese lady so it was authentic in everyway,though i like to add canned coconut milk instead of fresh as I find it heavy on the stomach !rest just the way tts explained by Richa! M glad uve shared this recipe cz homemade Khao suey wins hands down compared to any restaurant! ๐
Richa says
Thank you so much Pooja! Glad you liked it
Dwaraka says
Amazing fool proof recipe . Quite simple and family loved it . Thanks a lot ๐
Richa says
So so happy you liked it!
Alwin says
how to make this into a non vegetarian dish
Richa says
Hey Alwin, you can cut up the chicken into small pieces and add it along with the veggies. Cook it for 15-20 minutes.
Nikita Tiwari says
Hey Richa... the dish came out really well! ... I was a bit scared at one point when I added a TBSP of soy sauce and it totally changed to a very dark color... but i got my color back once i added the coconut milk... it was fab! Thanks a ton.... BTW, The only changes, I did to the recipe were : added little jaggery and tad bit sambar powder to the curry paste... overall the dish was exceptional!
Richa Gupta says
What's life without experiments, right? ๐ So happy that you liked our khow suey recipe!
Deepika Mathur says
This sounds easy and so doable! If I wish to add some NV - Chicken. At what stage should I add and how to cook it?
Ritu Pathi says
Amazing and easy recipe...what an amazing burst of flavours. Follow the recipe exactly and you wonโt be let down.
Richa Gupta says
Thank you so much, Ritu! Glad you liked our version of khow suey ๐