Khanohm Jeen Naam Ngiaao – Shan-Style Tomato Broth over Fermented Rice Noodles with Pork, Chicken Feet and Chicken Blood Cakes (ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว)

Fermented soybean cake (tua nao) (ถั่วเน่า)

Fermented soybeans, or tua nao, come as a brown paste or as dried disks, and are among the favorite seasonings of  the Shan people. The fermented soybeans are utilized to enhance the umami flavor in dishes, much like shrimp paste is used in other regions of the country. Dried fermented soybean cakes, referred to as tua nao khaaep (ถั่วเน่าแข๊บ) are lightly grilled and pounded to a fine powder before use. Tua nao is a product of the proteolytic alkaline fermentation of cooked soybeans. Its production is relatively simple, and can be done at home. The process starts with the boiling of soybeans for four to seven hours. Then, the soft beans are pounded to a paste in a wooden mortar and pestle. The paste is sometimes lightly seasoned with salt or chili flakes, and a paste of lemongrass, shallots and garlic, and let to ferment for two or three days. It is during this fermentation period that the bean paste develops its savoriness, with typical earthy notes accompanied by sweet and bitter undertones, and a nutty-yeasty smell that contributes to its overall qualities. The paste is then pressed into thin disks and allow to dry in the sun. Before adding it to the curry paste, the disk is lightly grilled over fire and pounded to a fine powder.

Daawk ngiu (ดอกงิ้วแห้ง)

Another ingredient commonly used by the Shan people is the cotton tree flower (Bombax ceiba). Large and red, the fresh flowers can be used in salads. More commonly, the dried pollen of the cotton tree flowers are deployed in a manner similar to that of dry bay leaves in Indian cuisine – to infuse broths and steamed dishes with sweet and earthy notes. The dried cotton tree pollen is known in Thai as daawk ngiu heang (ดอกงิ้วแห้ง).

Interestingly, in certain regions of Thailand, people are discouraged from planting cotton trees in their homes or gardens due to the belief that they will bring misfortune. More typically, these trees are seen in open fields near the village or in temples.

One reason behind the tree’s unfortunate reputation is its traditional use in funeral rites. In the past, a deceased person’s relatives would cut down the cotton tree to construct a coffin, an economical and efficient operation due to the tree’s soft wood and straight posture.

Furthermore, in Northern Thailand, the wood of the cotton tree is frequently used to create decorative casings for coffins; in certain northeastern provinces, an entire cotton tree may be felled and carved to resemble a boat, to contain the body. Thus, planting a cotton tree in one’s garden is seen as cursing oneself or preparing one’s own coffin.

In Buddhist cosmology (วิวัฒนาการพุทธ), hell (นรก; narok) is perceived as temporary state of existence within the cycle of birth, and employed as a teaching device to demonstrate the effects of negative karma. Unlike the hell of other religions, the Buddhist hell is not an eternal and everlasting punishment but is often depicted as a series of layered realms of suffering for those who commit certain types of moral offenses.

One of these realms is Chimphli or Metalsimpli (สิมพลี or ฉิมพลี), also known as the Hell of the Cotton Tree. This specific hell is frequently described as a forest of towering cotton trees, each covered with sharp, iron-like thorns; individuals who committed adultery or betrayed their spouses are condemned to climb the trees, enduring physical torment as a form of spiritual consequences of their sins.

How to cook the dish

The preparation of khanohm jeen naam ngiaao starts with preparing the broth. Place baby back pork ribs and chicken feet in a large pot with boiling water, along with a couple of bruised stalks of lemongrass to deodorize. Simmer on low heat, skimming and discarding the impurities that float atop the broth, and continue to gently braise the meats until the rib meat is tender, the chicken feet are almost falling apart, and the stock has been reduced and its flavors concentrated. Discard the lemongrass and set it aside.

The curry paste

I use the standard phrik khing (พริกขิง) paste as the base for the naam ngiaao curry paste and use the same ingredients and ratios. However, possibly reflective of the dish’s ngiao origins, the paste omits lemongrass and kaffir lime zest, which are less common in Shan cuisine. Instead, the paste includes fresh turmeric and deploys three potent umami agents: fermented shrimp paste (kapi), along with fermented fish (pla ra) and fermented soybean cake (tua nao).

Each of these ingredients contributes a unique umami character and interacts distinctively with smoke; the fermented shrimp paste (kapi) and fermented fish (pla ra) are grilled wrapped in banana leaves but, in order to neutralize the intense fishy aroma of pla ra, it is grilled resting on a bed of aromatic fingerroot. Last, the fermented soybean cake (tua nao) is lightly grilled until it crisps up, and then pounded to fine powder.

I prepare the rest of the ingredients – chilies, galangal, coriander root, garlic, and shallots –according to the phrik khing (พริกขิง) universal ratios.

For chilies, I suggest choosing large-bodied chilies such as dried red long chilies (phrik chee fa), which, when deseeded and rehydrated, display intense red hues. If you want to add an extra layer of sharp heat, which is typically missing in the large chili varieties, add extra spicy dried bird’s eye chilies. Since the fresh turmeric used in the paste imparts a light-yellow tint, be careful not to let its golden hues overpower the vibrant red color of the chilies. I like to gauge the amount of turmeric to achieve a final dish that has the warm and inviting color of a ripe tomato – a rich, deep red color with just a touch of orange undertones.

Once the curry paste is pounded smooth, with no need to wash the mortar in between, pound the underpaste made from fresh chilies and garlic. Then, in a large pot over medium heat, melt some pork lard and sauté the underpaste. I refer to it as “underpaste,” since I fry it in the fat before the main paste, as a foundation layer that introduces, early on, the tomato’s color, and echoes its freshness, thus providing a refreshing counterpoint to the intense savoriness to come.

When the lard is nicely infused with freshness, add the curry paste; almost immediately after, add the minced pork and fry the paste and the pork together until fully cooked and nicely caramelized. Good heat control is important; you can deglaze the pot with the stock as needed, ensuring the paste doesn’t burn as the pork caramelizes.

When fully cooked, stop the frying process with some stock and add the dried cotton tree pollen followed by the cooked baby back ribs and chicken feet, sliced tomatoes, and the cubed and washed chicken blood cake.

I deliberately include the full range of tomato maturity levels, from young and green to mature and red. I also add larger sliced tomatoes and will finish the dish with wok-smoked tomatoes. Besides the noticeable differences in flavor introduced by this array of maturities, we can consider it as an axis of growth, an animation of the tomato flavor progression from birth to fruition, thus engaging our senses in yet another dimension of complexity.

Add a small amount of fermented soybean paste, known as tao chiao (เต้าเจี้ยว), to echo the tau nao, and a pinch of sugar to enhance the ‘mouthfeel’ of the broth. Pour enough stock to cover and allow to gently simmer covered until the dish comes as richly flavored broth.

Finally, season the dish with light soy sauce for body and rock salt for sharpness, and serve over fermented rice noodles with garlic oil, pork fat cracklings, coriander leaves, spring onions, deep-fried small bird’s eye chilies, shredded cabbage, pickled mustard greens, bean sprouts, crispy pork rinds, chili oil, and a wedge of lime.