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noodle soup in a white bowl. The bottom layer is white thick rice noodles, topped with a meaty bolognaise like sauce.
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Vegan khao soi nam naa (ข้าวซอยน้ำหน้า) | khao soi nam kua (น้ำคั่ว)

Khao soi nam naa differs hugely from the coconut curry noodles most people know as khao soi. This version is comprised of a clear broth with rice noodles, topped with a faux pork and natto ragù seasoning.
Cuisine: Thai

Equipment

  • Noodle basket(s) optional
  • Pestle and mortar

Ingredients

Stock

  • 1 ½ litres water
  • 15 grams dried shiitake mushrooms 2-3 large pieces
  • 20 grams preserved salted radish
  • 20 grams coriander roots or stems about ¼ cup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Nam naa

  • 5-10 grams dried chillies deseeded (you can use less if you don’t want it too spicy, or use part paprika)
  • 30 grams fresh natto approximately 2 heaped tablespoons
  • ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 12 grams roughly chopped garlic 1 tablespoon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped coriander stems
  • 20 grams shallot, sliced approximately ¼ cup
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 125 grams omnipork ½ cup + 1 tablespoon
  • ¼ teaspoon MSG
  • 75 grams finely chopped baby plum or cherry tomatoes

Bowl (per serving)

  • 250-300 millilitres stock 1-1 ¼ cups
  • 80 grams dried wide rice noodles
  • Tiny dash Thai black soy sauce SEE NOTES
  • 1 teaspoon Thai thin soy sauce SEE NOTES
  • 1-3 teaspoons fried garlic in garlic oil SEE NOTES
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped spring onion
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped coriander
  • Handful bean sprouts
  • Condiments for personal seasoning chilli vinegar, toasted chilli powder, soy sauce, sugar (SEE NOTES)

Instructions

Make the stock.

  • Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan large enough to hold them. Bring to the boil and then knock back the heat to a low simmer (where it looks like hardly anything is happening in the pot – minimal bubbles). Cover with a lid and cook for around 45 minutes. Strain the solid bits away (if you can, squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms back into the stock). Pour the clear stock back into the saucepan and keep hot for serving. If you don’t plan to use the stock immediately, allow it to cool down before refrigeration.

Make the seasoning/topping

  • Soak the chillies in just boiled water for at least 30 minutes, until soft. Strain.
  • Pound the natto into a smooth paste using a pestle and mortar, or just roughly mash it with a fork if you can’t be arsed. Remove and set aside.
  • Combine the salt with the softened chillies in a mortar. Pound with a pestle until broken down into a smooth paste. This will take at least a few minutes. Add the garlic and coriander stems. Pound roughly (the garlic and coriander stems don’t need to be completely smooth like the chillies).
  • Heat the oil to a medium-low heat in a wok or large pan. Add pounded chilli paste and shallots. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and fragrant.
  • Reduce the heat to low (use the lowest heat possible on the smallest burner) and add the pounded tua nao, omnipork, and MSG. Simmer, stirring frequently to break up large pieces of the mince, for 10-15 minutes.
  • Once you see some oil rising to the surface, add the chopped tomatoes. Cook down for another 10-15 minutes until the mixture is reduced to a thick, oily paste. Continue stirring from time to time during this process. When finished, the mixture should not be watery. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Prepare the noodles and boiled bits.

  • Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 30 minutes until floppy.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil on high heat. Heat the stock in a separate saucepan.
  • If you have a noodle basket, it’s best to cook things one serving at a time. Add one portion of soaked rice noodles and a handful of bean sprouts to the basket. Submerge in the boiling water. If the water doesn’t cover the basket entirely, you can use chopsticks to agitate the contents to ensure even cooking. After 20-30 seconds, remove the basket and shake away excess water. Tip the contents into the bowl(s) you're going to eat from.
  • If you don’t have a noodle basket, it’s easier to cook everything at once. Measure out the number of servings worth of rice noodles and bean sprouts and add them to the boiling water. Agitate the contents of the pot with chopsticks while cooking. After 20-30 seconds, use a colander to drain the noodles and bean sprouts. Portion up into bowls.

To serve.

  • To each serving bowl (the bowl you put the cooked noodles into) add a tiny splash of black soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of Thai thin soy sauce. Scoop about ¼ cup worth of the nam naa on top of the noodles. Pour 250-300 millilitres of stock over the noodles (but not on the nam naa directly). Top with coriander, spring onion, and crispy garlic in garlic oil.
  • Serve with the recommended condiments so diners can adjust the seasoning to their tastes.

Notes

For an explanation of Thai soy sauces, see the following post: Thai Soy Sauce and Seasoning Sauce Primer.
Here is how to make crispy fried garlic in garlic oil (gratiem jeow).
Regarding the condiments, chilli vinegar is easy to make and so is toasted chilli powder.
In order to avoid food waste, you can use the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms from the stock as you would other mushrooms. Another idea is to follow the steps in my Thai jok/congee recipe for the mushrooms.