Noodle Recipes Archives

Naam Yaa Neuua – Northern Style Naam Ya according to Lady Plean Passakornrawong (น้ำยาเหนือ)

This fermented rice noodle dish is served with a slow-cooked, chili-less broth made from pounded fish meat and aromatics cooked in coconut cream. Creamy in color and velvety in texture, the broth is seasoned either with fish sauce, fermented fish or salted fish according to one’s preferences. The broth is allowed to slow-cook, achieving its full richness over a couple of hours. Once ready, the broth is poured over the noodles, which are then topped with a glossy-orangey layer of minced shrimp meat fried with their tomalley in pork lard. Complementing this richness are crunchy yellowish bean sprouts blanched in turmeric-tinted water, a sprinkle of sweet, golden crispy-fried shallots and, finally, green lemon basil leaves that endow the dish with a unique, rustic herbal persona.

Emperor's Hong Te Rice Vermicelli (หมี่ฮ่องเต้; mee haawng dteh)

Emperor's Hong Te Rice Vermicelli, a royal Thai dish combining delicate shredded chicken and crab meat over rice noodles. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

Stir-Fried Macaroni (มักกะโรนีผัด; mak ga ro:h nee phat)

Mak ga ro:h nee phat, macaroni stir-fried with garlic-lard paste, pork, shrimp, and roasted peanuts. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Perplexing Mee Suaa (หมี่สั้วฉงน; mee suaa cha ngohn)

Mee suaa cha ngohn: wheat noodle bundles bound with shrimp-corn paste, steamed, served in clear pork-crab broth. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Khao Soi Recipe, Northern Style Curried Noodle Soup with Chicken
(khaao saawy gai ; สูตรทำข้าวซอยไก่)

This dish (Khao Soi Recipe) takes us back in time to the mid-19th century. The trade caravans were trailing the jungles of northern Thailand along the ancient routes between India and China. Those long caravans were carrying wealth of exotic goods, leaving rich aroma of spices and the sweet scent of opium as they passed. The men on this long line of between fifty and one hundred mules would be Yunnanese Muslim Chinese, who dominated the trade routes and began to settle in Chiang Mai and the main towns of north Thailand at that time.

Muslim-Style Curry Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวแขก; guay dtiaao khaaek)

Guay dtiaao khaaek, beef simmered in curry paste and thin coconut milk over rice noodles, seasoned only at the table. Favorite Dishes, 1978.

Malayu Beef Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวมาลายู; guay dtiaao maa laa yuu)

Malayu Noodles featuring tender beef simmered with cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, and cloves. From Jeeb Bunnag's Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes, 1933.

c1908 Fermented rice noodles and golden coconut chicken sauce with an Indian flair (ขนมจีนแขก หรือ ไก่ต้มขนมจีน ; khanohm jeen khaaek)

Chanthabuun Rice Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวจันทบูรณ์; guay dtiaao jan tha buun)

Guay dtiaao jan tha buun, flat rice noodles topped with aromatic coconut duck sauce and crispy potato garnish. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

Khanohm Jeen Naam Yaa (ขนมจีนน้ำยา) - Fermented Rice Noodles with Minced Fish in Aromatic Coconut Curry

In the Central Plains of the Kingdom, fermented rice noodles are inextricably linked to a dish known as naam yaa. Composed of a dense, coconut-based minced fish curry, the dish is infused with layers of salted fish and possesses the distinctive, invigorating and purifying notes of fingerroot. Typically, naam yaa is served with fresh lemon basil as the herb of choice along with an array of side dishes collectively known as meuuat khanohm jeen (เหมือดขนมจีน). These include blanched bean sprouts seasoned with a touch of turmeric for color, fresh lemon basil leaves, thinly sliced three colored chilies, and ground chili for added heat. More elaborate versions will add blanched Chinese bitter gourd slices, batter-fried young morning glory shoots, and fresh shrimp minced and fried with its tomalley in pork lard, as well as crispy-fried shallots as the finishing touch.

Fermented Rice Noodles with Sweet Prawn-and-Mung-Bean Sauce (ขนมจีนน้ำพริก; khanohm jeen naam phrik)

Khanohm jeen naam phrik: fermented rice noodles with pounded prawn, roasted mung bean and tamarind-coconut sauce. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.

Javanese-Style Dressed Glass Noodles (วุ้นเส้นชวา; woon seh chawa)

Woon seh chawa: glass noodles in cinnamon-infused chicken broth with tangy dressing and layered toppings. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai snacks.

c1933 Gaaeng Khuaa Phrik Baang Chaang (แกงคั่วพริกบางช้าง) Thai kua curry served with khanom jeen fermented rice noodles topped with pickled garlic

c1933 Khuaa Curry with Bang Chang Chilies (แกงคั่วพริกขี้หนูหรือพริกชี้ฟ้า; gaaeng khuaa phrik baang chaang): Princess Dissakul's Smoky Fish Curry Recipe

Princess Dissakul's 1933 royal Thai curry featuring secretly pounded smoked fish in rich coconut cream with Bang Chang chilies and aromatic phrik khing paste. This complex, smoky curry builds layers of earth and ember, traditionally served over khanom jeen fermented rice noodles and topped with tangy pickled garlic for a perfect balance of smoke, spice, and tang.

The Ambassador’s House Style Noodle Soup (หมี่น้ำบ้านราชทูต; Mee Naam Baan Raat Thuut)

This soup dish features crispy rice vermicelli noodles, a chicken broth that has a three-flavor profile infused with the aroma of bitter orange, and a plethora of other ingredients such as crispy fried tofu, chicken, pork, crab and pickled garlic. In Thai, the phrase mee naam baan raat thuut refers to a rice vermicelli noodle soup in the style of the Ambassador’s house. The dish was not new when it appeared in the 1956 book Snacks, Tea Nibbles, Hors D’oeuvres and Drinking Food (ตำราอาหารว่าง - เครื่องน้ำชา และ เครื่องเคี้ยว หรือ กับแกล้ม) by Jeeb Bunnag (จีบ บุนนาค), as noodle dishes were often the preferred ingredient for light meals or snacks. In Grandparents Recipes: 100 Years Old Recipes (จานอร่อยจากปู่ย่า สูตรโบราณ 100 ปี), a volume printed in 2014 that highlights recipes from the kitchens of fifteen prominent families, a similar version of the dish is referred to as mee naam baan bpaak naai leert (หมี่น้ำบ้านปาร์คนายเลิศ) and is associated with Nai Lert.

Three-Flavor Crispy Egg Noodles (บะหมี่สามรส; ba mee saam roht)

Ba mee saam roht: deep-fried egg noodles topped with shrimp, pork fat, jicama, and pineapple in a sour-sweet-salty sauce. Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

“Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain” Fermented Rice Noodles by Princess Jongjittanom Dissakul (ขนมจีนครามแดง อย่าง หม่อมเจ้าหญิงจงจิตรถนอม ดิศกุล ; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)

"Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain" Fermented Rice Noodles (ขนมจีนครามแดง; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)

Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain Fermented Rice Noodles featuring a coconut sauce infused with roasted shallots, garlic and mung beans. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Cancer Crab Egg Noodles (บะหมี่กรกฎ; ba mee gaaw ra goht)

Ba mee gaaw ra goht, puffed deep-fried egg noodles topped with crab, shrimp, and salted duck egg yolk balls. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Fermented Rice Noodles Served with Pineapple, Fish Balls in Coconut Milk, Grilled Curried Fish Cakes, Young Ginger and Dry Shrimp Powder
(ขนมจีนซาวน้ำ ; khanohm jeen saao naam )

For the khanohm jeen saao naam version that we present today, we turn again to the writing of Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn for her unique take on the dish. Her version is quite similar to the common recipe encountered nowadays, but Lady Gleep enhances it with more ingredients, elevating the dish yet another notch to the level of a majestic masterpiece.

Gaaeng Raawn (แกงร้อน)

Gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) is a colloquial Thai term that refers to ‘hot curry’. Today, gaaeng raawn is used to denote soups or curries served with steamed rice. While the precise origin of the term is unclear, gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) was deployed in the 1800s for a specific dish – a Siamese soup featuring glass noodles, cooked as either a coconut or a water-based soup with an assortment of dry ingredients revered in Chinese cuisine. The soup’s potential health benefits, combined with its ease of preparation and subtle yet profound flavor, made it a popular choice for entertaining large groups of people, of all ages and backgrounds. The soup is often augmented with fresh proteins: in its more luxurious versions, multiple proteins may be added, including a combination of chicken, pork, shrimp, squid, and crab meat. Thus, over the years, gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) was established as a staple source of comfort and warmth for people of all walks of life in Siamese society.

Stir-Fried Crispy Rice Vermicelli (ผัดหมี่กรอบ; phat mee graawp)

Phat mee graawp, rice vermicelli fried crisp in pork lard, seasoned salty–sweet–sour, finished with slivered bitter orange. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.

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