Recipe by Donna Luangmany

Khao Piak Sen is the Lao version of homemade chicken noodle soup. Literally meaning wet rice strands, this dish is made of slightly chewy noodles and a simple chicken broth. Khao Piak Sen is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for the cold weather, a sick day, or just when a warm, hearty meal is desired.

Chicken Broth

1 stewing chicken or roasting chicken

12 cups of water (or enough to cover the chicken)

1 stalk lemongrass

1 piece galangal

3 kaffir lime leaves

fish sauce to taste

Cut up chicken into quarters and place in large stock pot. Add water and other ingredients. Simmer for several hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface. When chicken is cooked, remove and allow to cook. Shred with a fork once cool enough to handle. Set aside for garnish.

Noodles

1 package rice flour (16 oz)

1 1/2 packages tapioca starch (21 oz)

2 cups boiling water

Mix together one package rice flour with one package tapioca starch. (Note: the ratio for this mix varies by recipe. I prefer a 1:1, though for a chewier noodle, add more tapioca starch.) Slowly add water to mixture and stir. The key to a successful noodle is boiling water (not just hot). Start with a small amount of water, and continue to add more until a lumpy dough forms. Dust remaining tapioca starch on a flat surface and carefully kneed the dough for several minutes. Rest dough for 10 minutes. Dust a rolling pin. Break the dough into smaller balls, and roll them out to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 1/4 inch noodles. Dust the noodles with tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Garnishes

shredded chicken

sliced green onions

chopped cilantro

bean sprouts

fried shallots

fried garlic

soy sauce

ground white pepper

lime wedges

chili oil

Putting It All Together

The noodles can be cooked directly in boiling chicken broth. Doing so will cause the tapioca starch to thicken the soup. Alternatively, the noodles can be cooked in a pot of boiling water, strained, and then placed in individual bowls. Chicken broth is ladled over the noodles. Typical Lao style is to lay all the garnishes out and let each individual season their soup to their personal tastes

Donna Luangmany is a Canadian-Laotian mama living in Windsor, Ontario. She contributes to CleanBirth.org as a social media advisor.