Ohn no Khao Suey is a comfortingly soft, creamy Burmese Noodle Curry made with coconut milk & chickpea flour, flavored with spices.
There is something so comforting about a warm bowl of noodles and curry on a cold winter’s day. And as evidenced by the number of noodle soup recipes on this blog, you should know that I am most definitely partial to them.
VEGAN Lemongrass Ramen | VEGAN Spicy Ramen | Easy Harissa Garlic Ramen | VEGAN Shan Noodles w/ Tofu Curry
But that’s just coz they are both easy, as well as extremely comforting to make and enjoy!
This bowl of golden deliciousness is Ohn No Khao Suey – pronounce it as ‘Oh-no-cow-sway’ – a creamy, coconut-y broth, thickened with chickpea flour and seasoned with ground spices that coats every strand of noodle ever so magically, as you slurp every spoonful into oblivion.
It’s the last Burmese food my dad cooked for me before he passed away, so it’s a little extra special to me.
Although it’s traditionally made with Chicken, I made my vegan with carrots, navy beans, pan-fried tofu and kale instead, making this a very hearty bowl to enjoy in the winter.
The navy beans is just something I had leftover from another recipe, so use whatever beans you have at hand for an extra dose of protein.
And while you’re at it, don’t forget your assortment of standard Burmese condiments to top your bowl with : fried onion, fried garlic, roasted peanuts, chilli oil and red chilli flakes).
For the most efficient curry-making process, here’s the sequence of steps to follow:
- Press the tofu.
- While the tofu is pressing, prep the veggies. Grind the paste. Ready the stock.
- Make the curry.
- Right before adding the coconut milk, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for the noodles.
- As the curry simmers, boil the noodles. And on the side, pan fry the tofu.
- Assemble.
This way, everything is steaming hot when it goes into your bowl, which is exactly how this is meant to be eaten.
When you make this Ohn no Khao Suey (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!

Ohn-no-Khao-Suey | Burmese Noodle Curry
Ohn-no-Khao-Suey is a comfortingly soft and creamy Burmese Noodle Curry made with coconut milk thickened with chickpea flour, flavored with spices.
Ingredients
For the Curry paste
- 1 medium red onion (1/2 roughly sliced, 1/2 diced)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2" ginger
- 2 dry long red chillies
For the curry
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1-2 small carrots, sliced 1" thick pieces
- 2 kale leaves, chopped and massaged
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
- a pinch of ground cumin
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp plant-based chicken paste*
- 1-2 tbsp chickpea flour/besan
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup navy beans, cooked*
- Salt, to taste
For Assembling
- dried noodles
- a handful of Cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
- lemon wedges
- Fried onion
- Fried garlic
- pan-fried Tofu*
Instructions
Prep
- In a blender, grind 1/2 an onion, garlic, ginger, dry red chillies. You don't have to, but if your blender isn't powerful enough, add upto 1 tbsp water to blend. Set aside.
- Dissolve the No Chicken stock base in 2 cups of water. Set aside. Skip this step if using vegetable stock.
- Dissolve the chickpea flour in 1/4 cup of above stock. Set aside.
- Cook the dried noodles in a pot of salted water until soft. Drain and set aside.
- Pan fry the tofu. See notes below for special instructions on getting crisp skin.
Make the curry
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Once hot, add the diced onion and fry untl it begins to brown.
- Add the ground curry paste and cook on low-medium heat until the raw, pungent smells dissipate and the paste is fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste.
- Add the chopped carrots and kale. Season with the ground coriander and cumin. Mix with the paste well and cook for a couple of minutes just to get the flavors infused into the carrots.
- Add the plant-based Chicken stock and the chickpea flour slurry, cover and bring to a boil until the chickpea smell doesn't stand out.
- Add the soy sauce, coconut milk and the cooked navy beans.
- Let it simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes to get the flavors infused.
- Taste and adjust salt and other seasonings. If the curry is too thick, add more water, but remember, the curry will thicken more as it cools because of the chickpea flour.
- Remove from heat.
Assemble
- Add a handful of cooked noodles in each serving bowl.
- Ladle a generous amount of curry on the noodles, letting it pool a little on the sides.
- Top each bowl with a few pieces of pan-fried tofu, a teaspoon of roasted peanut, a pinch of fried onion, and a pinch of fried garlic.
- Sprinkle a little chopped cilantro, and squeeze a dash of lemon juice.
- Serve hot immediately.
- LEFTOVERS: Refrigerate leftover curry and noodles separately. Storing them together, will cause the noodles to drink up the curry, and get bloated and soggy. Separate is best. Assemble in a bowl and microwave to warm up before eating.
Notes
- If you don't have the Better than Bouillion No Chicken Base (vegan certified), simply substitute 1 cup water with vegetable stock.
- I use whatever cooked beans I have at hand (black, navy, chickpea, etc). Use whatever you have, or feel free to skip.
- To pan-fry tofu that's crispy and flavorful, start with pressed tofu. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. When the oil is hot, add the tofu slices in a single layer. Sprinkle salt and season with spices (I use paprika, and other spices that will compliment the dish the tofu will be used in. In this case, I also used ground coriander and a pinch of cumin). Once the bottom is browned and crisp, flip and continue cooking. Season the other side with salt. When both sides are crispy and brown, drizzle a little sriracha, and remove from heat.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 845Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 627mgCarbohydrates: 102gFiber: 25gSugar: 26gProtein: 26g
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
J says
I was looking for an authentic, vegetarian recipe for Ohn No Khao Suey and I’m so happy I found your blog. I made it for lunch and it turned out awesome! Thanks for sharing the recipe and your story.
Tina Dawson says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for coming back and letting me know!!