Northern Thai Pork Curry Soup with Rice Vermicelli Noodles

Khanom chin nam ngiao: ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว has become a signature dish of the Northern Thai Lanna cuisine. It has a characteristic spicy and tangy flavor. They are main ingredients, including pork, tomatoes, dried fermented soy bean, and dried red cotton flowers: dok ngiu-ดอกงิ้ว. These flowers are one of essential ingredients that you can buy online. This soup is commonly served with crispy pork rinds and fresh vegetables on the side such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and lime wedge. Another important ingredient is tua nao: ถั่วเน่า, a dried fermented soya bean that is used extensively in northern cuisine but I used soy bean paste: เต้าเจี้ยว and shrimp paste: กะปิ as a substitute.

Moreover, the red cotton tree is native to tropical Southeast Asia. In Thailand, they normally dry the core of the red cotton flowers in the sun until they are brown. This flower core has such a wonderful texture and gives this spicy noodle soup an additional dimension. I love northern cuisine and had a chance to visit Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai many times. Local people are warm, soft spoken, friendly, and always smiling! I also made my favorite dishes such as Khao Soi and Nam Phrik Ong. Hope you give it a try ka! xoxo

Ingredients 

Serves 6

To make a curry paste 

3 dried Guajillo : Mexican chilies, mildly hot

5 dried red spur chili peppers, if you like spicy please add more

2 shallots, chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped

1 lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced

a handful of coriander roots, chopped

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 sliced galangal, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp shrimp paste

To make pork curry soup

12 dried red cotton flowers, soaked in water

1.20 lb ground pork

1.60 lb pork ribs

1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp fermented soy bean

salt to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

10 cups water

3 Tsp vegetable oil

bean sprouts

cilantro leaves to garnish

lime wedges

cooked rice vermicelli noodles

Instructions 

1. Clean pork ribs with salt and rinse. Bring water to a boil, add ribs and 1/2 tsp salt and boil until tender. Skim any foam or fat on the surface. Add dried red cotton flowers.
2. To make a curry paste, remove stems from the chilies and cut into small pieces  with a scissor. Discard the seeds and soak in hot water until soft and drain. Use a pestle and mortar, pound chilies and salt into paste. Add lemongrass and galangal and pound until combined. Pound chopped garlic and shallot until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Pound chopped coriander roots, seeds, turmeric powder until smooth. Finally add shrimp paste and pound to combine. It’s easier to pound herbs and spices in a small portion.
3. Heat oil over medium heat, stir in the chili paste and soy bean.
4.  Add ground pork, then stirring until cooked. Stir in tomatoes until soft.
5. Pour pork curry mixture into a soup pot. Season with fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings. Simmer about 15-20 minutes.
6. Cook rice vermicelli noodles in the boiling water about 3 minutes. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Serve warm with pork curry soup and side dishes. Enjoy ka!

Delicious ka!