Burmese Chicken and Coconut Soup
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons chickpea/garbanzo bean or fava flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup coconut milk
12 to 16 ounces thin rice noodles (may substitute vermicelli)
1 lime
1/2 cup dried onion rings, such as Durkee (optional)
2 jammy eggs (boiled for 7 minutes then peeled), cut crosswise into slices (optional)
roasted chili powder or Sriracha (optional)
Cook noodles per directions (I added my eggs to this water to hard boil them). While doing so, puree first 3 ingredients with 4 tablespoons of water in a blender. Set aside. Add flour to small bowl. Whisk in 1 cup of chicken stock. Set aside.
Salt and pepper chicken. Brown on both sides in oil in a pan large enough for all soup ingredients. Once browned (does not need to be cooked through), add cayenne, turmeric, and paprika. Saute together for 1 minute. Add remaining chicken broth, onion/garlic/ginger puree, and flour/chicken broth mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer for 5 additional minutes. Add in cooked noodles.
To serve, ladle into large bowls. Squeeze lime on top of each bowl and garnish with an additional wedge. Garnish with egg, dried onions, and/or chili.
FUN FACTS:
Myanmar has two names: Myanmar and Burma.
In Myanmar they have their steering wheels on the right, like in Great Britain, but they drive on the right, like in the United States.
Myanmar is home to the biggest book in the world. It has 1460 pages and 730 leaves. Each page is about 3.5 feet wide, 5 inches thick, 5 feet tall!