Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup (Curry Mee)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced lemon grass or pale green cilantro roots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dark red chili paste, such as sambal, more for serving
• 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast meat, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably Malaysian, Thai or Vietnamese
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar, more to taste
• About 12 kaffir lime leaves or curry leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)
• 8 ounces dried thin rice noodles (bun or vermicelli), or other Asian noodles such as udon or lai fun
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 scallions, cut into thin rings
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced and deep fried in vegetable oil until brown (optional)
• Quartered limes for serving.

1. 1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and lemon grass and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add garlic and chili paste and stir until fragrant. Raise heat, add chicken and stir-fry one minute. Add curry powder and paprika and stir to coat. Then add coconut milk, half-and-half, chicken stock, turmeric, fish sauce, sugar and lime or curry leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, cook rice noodles in boiling water according to package directions (about 4 minutes). Rinse and drain.
3. 3. Taste broth and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar. Divide noodles into large soup bowls. Bring broth to a boil, then ladle over noodles. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions and fried shallots, if using. Pass limes and sambal at the table.
4. Note: To make this rich soup more substantial, boiled potatoes are sometimes added to the simmering broth and cooked until very soft.

vegetable oil, onion, ginger, lemon grass, garlic, dark red chili paste, chicken thigh, curry powder, paprika, unsweetened coconut milk, chicken stock, ground turmeric, fish sauce, sugar, lime, thin rice noodles, salt, bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, shallots

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/coconut-curry-chicken-noodle-soup-curry-mee-50016464 (may not work)