Chiang Mai Curry Noodle Soup

Directions

1. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil. Gently pull the strands of noodles apart, then drop them into the boiling water, stirring to separate the strands. Bring to a second boil and cook for 1 minute longer. Pour the noodles into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cool running water. Drain well, shaking off excess water.
2. Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a small saucepan and heat to 375 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. Meanwhile, pat dry 1 c. (6 ounce) of the cooked noodles with paper towels. When the oil is warm, add in the noodles. Using a pair of long chopsticks or possibly tongs, stir gently to separate the strands and fry till golden, about 30 seconds. Lift out the noodles and place on paper towels to drain. Remove the pan from the heat. Crumble the noodles into small chunks and set aside.
3. Measure out 2 Tbsp. of the oil used to fry the noodles and place in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and saute/fry till browned, about 1 minute. Don't shake the cans of coconut lowfat milk before opening. There should be a thick layer of cream on top of each. Spoon off 1/2 c. of the thick cream from the top of each can and add in it to the garlic. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, till the cream boils gently. Add in the Red Curry Paste, curry pwdr and turmeric and stir till smooth. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer till the mix is thick and the oil begins to separate around the edges and rises to the surface, about 5 min.
4. Add in the chicken, breaking it up into small pcs. Cook till the chicken becomes white, about 2 min. Raise the heat to high. Add in the remaining coconut lowfat milk, the chicken stock, fish sauce, palm or possibly brown sugar and cabbage and stir well. When the mix begins to boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and continue cooking for 8 min longer.
5. Divide the boiled noodles proportionately among 6 warmed deep soup bowls. Stir the lemon juice into the warm soup and ladle equal amounts of the soup over the noodles. Garnish with the crumbled fried noodles, fried shallots, cilantro and green onions. Place a lemon wedge on top of each serving and serve warm.
6. This recipe yields 6 servings.
7. Comments: Although this noodle soup from Thailand is delicious served plain, a variety of crispy, tasty toppings delivers an exciting flavor boost and lively textures.