Khao Suey (a one dish meal)

This recipe for Khao Suey was taught to me by Safiya, a lovely elegant lady who resides in Karachi but is originally from Burma (thank you Auntie Safiya)

This is a Burmese dish that is found even in North Thailand in Chang Mai province and Laos.

It makes a hearty party dish, it's filling by itself and your friends can make their own variations from the variety of condiments. The more the merrier. Sort of like a Burmese Bhel Puri.

Serves 15

Ingredients :
(for the gravy)
6-8 onions
6-8 tomatoes
10 cloves of garlic
milk of 3 coconuts or 4 cartons of coconut milk
3 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup besan (dry chick pea/ garbonzo beans powder)
4-6 packets of rice noodles

(for the topping)
1 cup roasted and salted peanuts
1 1/2 cup sliced spring onions
*2 cups fried noodles
1/2 cup finely sliced and fried garlic
1/2 cup cracked red pepper (pizza pepper)
1 cup chopped dhaniya (cilantro)
6 eggs boiled and chopped into one inch pieces
1/2kg boiled chicken breast chopped into 1cm pieces
1/2 cup oil

*hint: try and buy pre-cooked noodles from a chinese eatery, i tried using maggie or ramon or any ready to eat noodles with mixed success till I discovered fried noodles at crawford market.

Directions :

Grind onions with garlic, chillie powder, turmeric, salt and sugar into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a big pan. Add this paste and fry till slightly brown.

Meanwhile grind the tomatoes and add to the onion paste, fry all this till the oil rises to the top. Simmer.

Take the Besan and put it in the same grinder with 2 cups of water and whirl for a bit till it mixes nicely. This way you get a smooth soupy paste without lumps. Add to the pan, mix well and simmer for half an hour. Add some more hot water if too thick.

Then comes the tedious part, helps if you have a good chopper (human or electric, i have Ramu),

Fry the Garlic.
Crush the Peanuts
Chop the green onions
Slice 3 onions and fry in a pan with a little oil (or buy ready fried onions called Balista from crawford market)
chop cilantro 
etc etc

Finally , just before serving, boil the rice noodles. Add the coconut milk to the gravy and shut the burner just before it starts boiling.

This is how it goes into the bowl.
Noodles--> Gravy --> All or some of the ingredients --> eggs or chicken if you're carnivorous --> squeeze some lemon juice --> top with the fried noodles and dig in.

Variation:
If you want to make it interesting for vegetarians keep some blanched chopped broccoli, baby corn pieces and sliced and sauted  mushrooms along with the other condiments.