Ohn No Khao Swè (Burmese Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup)

A recipe for Ohn No Khao Swè (Burmese Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup)! Tender egg noodles are served in a flavorful chicken coconut broth thickened with chickpea flour.

Ohn No Khao Swè (အုန်းနို့ခေါက်ဆွဲ, Ohn No Khauk Swe, Ohn No Khao Suey) is a Burmese noodle dish featuring a fragrant spiced coconut broth with chicken and a variety of toppings. The result is such a comforting bowl of soup perfect for every season.

Start by marinating the chicken pieces for a few minutes with fish sauce and spices, then brown and simmer in a chicken stock-based broth to bring all the flavors together. Finish by adding a can of coconut milk and cooking briefly to heat through.

To serve, boil egg noodles just until tender, then divide among bowls, cover with the soup and garnishes, and enjoy immediately after assembling.

Notable Ingredients

Fish sauce (ngan bya yay, nam pla, nước mắm, patis) is a condiment popular in Southeast Asian cooking. It is created by slowly fermenting fish (generally anchovies) in a salt water mixture, then pressing to produce a thin liquid. It provides a savory umami flavor.

Brands from different countries will vary a bit in taste and quality. Fish sauce is available in Southeast Asian markets and some larger grocery stores in the United States.

Use 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) fish sauce to marinate the chicken, then add more as desired to the soup to taste.

Chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour, farina di ceci, Kichererbsenmehl) is used to slightly thicken the soup. It can be found in markets with South Asian and Italian ingredients along with the gluten-free section of some larger grocery stores.

Garnishes

I topped each bowl of noodles with thinly sliced shallots, sliced hard boiled eggs, cilantro, green onions, ground chili, and lime wedges.

Soak the shallots in cold water for about 10 minutes to remove some of the sharpness. Drain well before adding to the bowl.

To make the hard boiled eggs, place them in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Occasionally gently stir the eggs to move them to different sides (this will help center the yolk) and bring the water to a boil.

Once boiling, remove from heat and cover with a lid. Allow to sit for 10-12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to ice cold water and peel them as soon as cool enough to handle.

I have also seen this soup served with fried noodles, fried shallots, and/or fish balls for a bit more contrast in textures.

A Few Ohn No Khao Swè Tips

Stir the turmeric with the chicken pieces using a spoon or gloved hands. Take care as the turmeric has a tendency to stain.

I personally prefer to make this soup with chicken thighs, but they can be swapped for chicken breasts. Just take care to not overcook.

Cook the egg noodles just until tender. They will continue to soften as they soak in the hot soup. Fresh egg noodles will cook quicker than dried noodles.

Adjust the fish sauce and salt to taste. The exact amount will vary based on the sodium content of your chicken stock.

Serve the Ohn No Khao Swè immediately after assembling.

When updating this recipe, I halved all the ingredients to make it easier for smaller servings and omitted the soy sauce (for authenticity). The ingredients can easily be doubled for a larger crowd.

The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook

The original inspiration for this recipe came from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook, written by Patricia Tanumihardja.

I actually had the opportunity to meet Pat shortly after we moved to Virginia the first time while she was doing a cooking demonstration for the book.

During the demo, she prepared Suan La Tang (Hot and Sour Soup), Wok-Fried Bok Choy, Pad Gkaprow Mu (Thai Basil Pork), and Long-Life Noodles. It was so wonderful to see her in action bringing the recipes to life.

Since moving back to Virginia, I have had the opportunity to review a few of her latest books including Ramen for Everyone, Farm to Table Asian Secrets, The Sugar Plum Bakers, and Mortar & Pestle.

This recipe was originally posted in March 2015 and updated in February 2025.

Ohn No Khao Swè (Burmese Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup) Recipe

Adapted from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook

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4.34 from 3 votes

Ohn No Khao Swè (Burmese Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup)

A recipe for Ohn No Khao Swè (Burmese Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup)! Tender egg noodles are served in a flavorful chicken coconut broth thickened with chickpea flour.

Course Soup

Cuisine Burmese

Keyword Burmese, chicken, coconut, Myanmar, noodle, poultry, soup, turmeric

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 1 pound (450 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) fish sauce plus more as needed to season
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more as needed to season
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) fresh ginger peeled and grated

Soup:

• 1/4 cup (30 grams) chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) water
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili powder
• 4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
• 1 can (13.5 ounces, 400 milliliters) coconut milk

To Assemble:

• 2 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 pound (450 grams) fresh Chinese egg noodles or 8 ounces (227 grams) dried egg noodles
• 3 hard boiled eggs peeled and cut into slices crosswise
• 2 green onions sliced
• fresh cilantro
• 2 limes cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons ground dried red chilies pan-roasted until fragrant

Instructions

For the Chicken:

• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl.
• Add the fish sauce, turmeric, salt, garlic, and ginger. Use a spoon or gloved hands (the turmeric will stain) to toss everything together until well combined.
• Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

For the Soup:

• Place the chickpea flour in a medium bowl.
• Slowly add the water while whisking until the chickpea flour has dissolved. Set aside for 15 minutes.
• Place a large pot over medium heat and add the vegetable oil.
• Once thoroughly heated and shimmering, add the onions.
• Cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened and are starting to become golden around the edges.
• Add the chicken pieces with the marinade to the pot.
• Continue to cook, stirring often, until the chicken has browned on all sides.
• Stir in the paprika and red chili powder.
• Pour in the chicken stock. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Season as desired with additional fish sauce and salt.
• Whisk the set aside soaked chickpea flour and slowly pour into the pot while stirring.
• Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk. Season if needed to taste and simmer for another 5 minutes to heat through.

To Assemble:

• Place the thinly sliced shallots in a medium bowl. Cover with cold water and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain well.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook, stirring often, until just tender.
• Drain, rinse, and divide between four bowls.
• Pour the finished chicken coconut soup over the noodles in each bowl.
• Garnish as desired with the shallots, hard boiled egg slices, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and ground red chilies.
• Serve immediately.