Chicken Curry Noodle Soup (Khao Poon) with Instant Pot

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About Chicken Curry Noodle Soup (Khao Poon)

Khao Poon is a long-simmered red curry base noodle soup most often made with pounded chicken, fish, or pork and seasoned with common Lao ingredients such as fish sauce, kaffir leaves, lemon grass, turmeric, galangal, and red curry paste. It is typically made with rice vermicelli noodles ("sen khao poon"), but rice stick noodles can also be used. It is served with an assortment of shredded cabbage, carrots, and banana blossom along with bean sprouts, fresh mint, cilantro, lime, and dried red chillies.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 6 cups of water depending on the size of your instant pot (do not fill pot pass the max line)
• 1 tbsp. of fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. of shrimp paste
• 13.5 oz of coconut cream (1 to 2 cans of coconut cream, depending you how creamy you like your curry noodles)
• 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil
• 4 to 8 oz of red curry paste (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 2 pounds of chicken (chicken breast, tights, or drumsticks)
• 5 leaves of kaffir leaves
• 1 bag of rice vermicelli noodles (14 oz or 400g) 
• ¼ cup of fresh ginger, chopped
• ¼ cup of fresh galangal (you can use dried slices of dried galangal), chopped
• ¼ cup of fresh turmeric, chopped
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, cut into 3 inches long and mash the lemongrass with a meat tenderizer or the end of a knife to release the oil and aroma of the lemongrass
• 1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped (you may use wild garlic leaves or Chinese chives instead of green onions)
• 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 cups of shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 2 cups of bean sprouts
• 1 cup of mint leaves
• 1 lime, sliced in wedges
• Optional: shredded banana blossom, lady’s thumb leaves, and shiso leaves

Instructions - Phase 1: Prepare curry sauce using Instant Pot

1. Select sauté function for 10 minutes on your instant pot.
2. Add vegetable oil and stir to coat the pot evenly.
3. Add the kaffir leaves and let it cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add red curry paste and stir, allowing the paste to roast 2-3 minutes.
5. Add shrimp paste and stir.
6. Add coconut cream and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add water and thoroughly deglaze a pot by stirring well (if you have any burned bits at the bottom, the pot will not come to pressure)
8. Add chicken, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, and galangal.
9. Close the lid immediately and pressure cook at High Pressure for 45 minutes, then Natural Release (roughly 10-15 minutes).
10. Remove the cooked chicken and let it cool down before beginning to shred them into strips. 
11. Add the fish sauce and shredded chicken to the instant pot. Discard the bones.
12. Taste your curry sauce, you may add more water and fish sauce to the pot as the liquid might have reduced.

Instructions - Phase 2: Cook rice vermicelli noodles in a separate pot:

1. While the chicken is being cooked, fill a pot with 8-10 cups of water on the stove top and add rice vermicelli noodles. Ensure all rice vermicelli noodles are submerged completely in water
2. Cook the noodles for 20 mins, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally throughout the boiling process. DO NOT FOLLOW the instructions on the back of the noodles package or your noodles will be uncooked.
3. Bring the pot to the sink and flush the rice vermicelli noodles with cold water for 30 seconds
4. Drain the noodles in a colander.
5. Let the noodles sit for at least 20 minutes to ensure the noodles are completely drained before serving.

Instructions - Phase 3: Prepare garnishes using a large platter

1. Slice lime into wedges.
2. Chop green onions and cilantro.
3. Shred carrots and green cabbage.
4. Rinse bean sprouts and drain.
5. Wash and remove mints from the stem.

Instructions - Phase 4: Time to eat

1. In a large soup bowl, layer noodles, veggies and herbs, and pour curry sauce to cover the noodles.
2. Enjoy!