Traditional Myanmar Cuisine

Coconut Milk Noodles (Ohn No Khao Swe)

AMONG Myanmar’s traditional dishes often served at donation ceremonies or festive gatherings, one beloved speciality is Coconut Milk Noodles. This dish stands out for its sweet, rich flavour and comforting taste. It is prepared with coconut milk, chicken, and chickpea flour, cooked into a savoury broth that is paired with wheat noodles.

To enhance the flavour, thinly sliced onions, chilli powder, and lime juice are added, and it is commonly enjoyed as a hearty breakfast. Because of its popularity, many households prepare Coconut Milk Noodles at home, following a traditional recipe.

Ingredients

Noodles – 1 Viss & 25 Kyattha (approximately 1.6 kilogrammes)

Chicken – 25 Kyattha (local measure)

Fish cake – 10 Kyattha

Duck eggs – 7 pieces

Chickpea flour – 10 Kyattha

Chilli powder – a small amount

Oil – 5 Kyattha

Coconut (or fresh milk) – 1 coconut or 1 bottle

Sugar – 2 tablespoons (heaped)

Salt – 1½ tablespoons (heaped)

Seasoning powder – 1 tablespoon (heaped)

Small onions – 25 Kyattha (for broth)

Turmeric powder – a little

Fried crispy fritters – 10 Kyattha

Large onions – 10 Kyattha (thinly sliced, for garnish)

Lime – 1 piece (juicy)

Ground chilli – 5 Kyattha

Soy sauce – a little (for balance)

Garlic – 2 bulbs

Fried beans – 10 pieces

Water – about 5 milk bottles (adjust as needed)

Method

1. Boil the duck eggs and set aside.

2. Mix chickpea flour with water until smooth.

3. Wash and prepare chicken pieces.

4. Boil water, add peeled garlic cloves, and cook chicken with salt until tender. Slice into large pieces.

5. Add fish cake slices to the chicken broth, seasoned with ginger, garlic juice, salt, and seasoning powder. Cook until tender, then slice.

6. Fry crispy fritters in hot oil and store airtight.

7. In the remaining oil, sauté crushed garlic with turmeric powder. Add chilli powder, chicken slices, salt, and sugar.

8. Add water as needed, then stir in chickpea mixture. Cook gently until thickened.

9. Pour in coconut milk, add chicken, fish cake, boiled eggs, and onions. Adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, and seasoning powder.

10. Once bubbling, remove from the heat.

Serving

Place noodles in a bowl.

Garnish with thinly sliced onions, lime juice, chilli powder, and crispy fritters.

Add fried beans if desired.

Serve hot with balanced portions of broth, toppings, and noodles for a delicious, traditional Coconut Milk Noodle dish. — MOON