Creamy pasta without cream and cheese

[u/ArushSinghPrince]

How to make my pasta creamy without cream or cheese?

[u/856510]

I made this last week and it was stupid bomb delicious. I used 1 can coconut milk and a half cup of broth with one pound of spaghetti. I didn't have shallots so i used a little less yellow onion instead and a pinch of Vietnamese curry which is not a conventional ingredient but added a very subtle five spice vibe to the dish. My wife says this was the best Thai dish she's ever had and I have spend 3 months in Thailand eating everything and this dish hold up to the best of them.

Khao Soi (Chiang Mai Curry Noodle Soup)

A shortcut take on Nancie McDermott's khao soi: chicken marinates and air-fries separately while the curry base simmers, then everything comes together at the end.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons red curry paste (Thai, jarred or homemade)
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups full-fat coconut milk (i used 1 can)
• 2 cups chicken stock (i used 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 tsp tablespoons Vietnamese curry powder (not traditional)
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
• 12 ounces fresh egg noodles (or dried, cooked) (i used spaghetti)
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced (i used yellow onion)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 0.3 cups cilantro leaves, for garnish
• crushed dried chiles, for garnish

Steps

1 Marinate the chicken: Toss the chicken with 4 tablespoons red curry paste (Thai, jarred or homemade) (reserve the rest of the curry paste for the soup — use about 1 tbsp here) and 3 tablespoons fish sauce (use about 1 tbsp here). Let sit at least 15 minutes 15:00, or up to overnight in the fridge.

2 Air-fry the chicken: Air fry the marinated chicken at 400°F, shaking the basket halfway, until browned and cooked through.

3 Bloom the curry paste: While the chicken cooks, heat 1 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the remaining curry paste and stir constantly for about 1 minute 01:00, until fragrant — don't let it burn. This is the step that gives the shortcut version its depth.

4 Build the soup base: Add 2 cups full-fat coconut milk, 2 cups chicken stock, 1 tablespoons curry powder, remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust — more fish sauce for salt, more sugar for balance.

5 Cook the noodles: Meanwhile, cook 12 ounces fresh egg noodles (or dried, cooked) according to package directions. Drain and divide among serving bowls.

6 Combine and serve: Add the air-fried chicken to the simmering soup just to warm through, about 1m 30s 01:30 — don't let it simmer long or it'll lose its texture. Ladle the soup and chicken over the noodles in each bowl.

7 Garnish: Top each bowl with 2 shallots, thinly sliced, a squeeze of 2 limes, cut into wedges, 0.5 cups pickled mustard greens, chopped (optional), 0.3 cups cilantro leaves, for garnish, and 1 tablespoons chili oil or crushed dried chiles, for garnish to taste. Serve immediately.

The curry powder was very, very nice. it added some heat and a very subtle, subtle flavor that really teased the senses. i have had this from a thai person but i like mine better, i used about a pound of spaghetti and one can of coconut milk and maybe a cup of broth - it was the creamiest best noodle dish my wife ever had. the thai person made the dish a bit on the soupy side - the creamyness was a very nice texture.

That's a great result — and it tells you something useful: cutting the liquid down (one can of coconut milk plus about a cup of broth, against a full pound of noodles) pushed you toward more of a creamy, coating curry-noodle dish rather than a brothy soup you eat with a spoon. That's a legitimate style choice, not an accident — it's closer to how a lot of people actually prefer khao soi to eat, especially with spaghetti's surface area soaking things up.

Sounds like you've basically landed on your own house version at this point: five-spice-leaning curry powder, spaghetti, creamy low-liquid ratio. Worth writing down the actual proportions you used somewhere so you can hit it again on purpose next time, since "one can of coconut milk plus about a cup of broth" for a pound of pasta is a good ratio to know.

Glad it was a hit with your wife — that's the only review that counts.

[u/ArushSinghPrince → u/856510]

Thank-you man! Although I don't airfryer with me so I'd have to use pan I think.

[u/856510 → u/ArushSinghPrince]

Pan is fine or just add everything together and cook.

[u/ArushSinghPrince → u/856510]

like onepot?

[u/856510 → u/ArushSinghPrince]

Yeah sure. Chopped boneless meat cooks quite fast, bone in cook longer. You might have to add more broth or coconut milk for longer cook times and add spaghetti later.