Food From Northern Laos

Ohn No Khao Swe: Coconut Chicken Noodles Photo: Tara's Multicultural Table Some noodle soups comfort you quietly. Ohn no khao swe wraps you up. Wheat noodles sit in a golden coconut curry — rich, gently spiced, thickened the Burmese way with chickpea flour — topped with tender chicken, slices of boiled egg, raw shallots, fresh coriander, a squeeze of lime and a shower of chilli. It is Myanmar's beloved coconut chicken noodle soup, sold in teashops and market stalls from Yangon to Mandalay, eaten for breakfast, lunch and every cheerful occasion in between. If mohinga is Burma's national breakfast, ohn no khao swe is its favourite celebration bowl — the one brought out for birthdays, donations and family gatherings, and the one nobody ever refuses a second helping of. A soup with a chickpea secret What sets ohn no khao swe apart from other coconut noodle soups in the region is how the broth gets its body. Instead of relying on coconut milk alone, Burmese cooks whisk i...