I grew up with Burmese food—it’s my comfort food. One of my favorite dishes my mom made was called Ohn No Khao Swè, a fragrant, rich coconut milk curry soup served with noodles and amazing toppings. The name Ohn No Khao Swè literally translates to “coconut milk soup.”
Now when I was pursuing my master’s, it was a lot harder to find some of the ingredients I’d need for Burmese—or even generally Asian—dishes. Plus, this is one of those dishes I crave at 2am. So, I created my own version, which is slightly simpler than the traditional one. It’s still creamy, rich, and full of warm, flavorful spices.
The dish starts with caramelizing a pot of onions to create a sweet, rich base. Next, we add our spices and flavor agents: garlic, serrano pepper, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, and roasted chili flakes. Yes, I make this dish pretty spicy—but you can omit any of the peppers to suit your taste. I like adding them early to develop flavor, but you can always adjust the heat at the end. Roasted chili flakes are a staple in Burmese cooking—similar to regular chili flakes, but made from spicier dried chilies and roasted for deeper flavor.
Once the base is ready, we add chicken, unsweetened coconut milk, fish sauce, and a bit of chicken broth. This makes the soup thick, creamy, and packed with umami. Thick spaghetti noodles are served alongside, perfect for holding up to the richness of the soup.
Toppings are a huge part of Burmese cuisine—they truly make the dish. Some delicious options include:
- Roasted chickpea flour
- Roasted salted peanuts
- Cucumbers
- Cilantro
- Roasted chili flakes
- Boiled egg
I highly recommend trying my version of my mom’s Ohn No Khao Swè—it’s another step into the world of Burmese food. I also have a couple of other introductions to Burmese cooking in my blog posts: Burmese Street Food: Samosa Thoke and An Intro to the Green Papaya Salad World.
Burmese Coconut Soup: Ohn No Khao Swè
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
1/2 lb. spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package instructions
1 tablespoon avocado oil or canola oil
1 large onion, julienned
1/2 serrano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon roasted crushed chili peppers
2 chicken thighs, cubed, or ½ lb ground chicken (both work well!)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Garnishes:
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 tablespoon roasted crushed chili pepper
1 large English cucumber, julienned
1. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-low. Add onions and cook until caramelized.
2. Add serrano pepper, garlic, and spices. Sauté until fragrant.
3. Add chicken and cook until about 75% done.
4. Deglaze the pan with fish sauce. Add coconut milk and chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
5. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked and flavors have developed. Taste and adjust seasoning—if you need more salt, I recommend adding a bit of fish sauce instead of plain salt.
6. Serve with spaghetti noodles and top with your favorite garnishes.
We’ve got some great soup classes coming up this fall that you won't want to miss:
- Hands-On Simmer and Savor: Cozy Soups and Stews Monday, October 20 at 6pm (just added to our calendar!)
- Hands-On Ramen Workshop on Tuesday, October 28 at 6pm
- Lunch & Learn Demo: Vegetarian Tortilla Soup on Friday, October 31 at 12pm
