Name: Thai fermented noodles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 8835 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Rice ((I have used sona masoori)); Water; Salt

Gluten Free

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Thai fermented rice noodles from scratch step-by-step recipe with photos.

Making noodles from scratch was something I had never imagined I will do. And fermented noodles – I didn’t even know about them until recently. However, of late, we have been more inclined to consume grains in the fermented form. Rice and rotis are often replaced with idli, dosa, and sourdough bread because that is the only form of fermentation I knew. I sometimes make dhokla and handvo which are also fermented foods. For the past few months, I have been researching on introducing more fermented grain dishes into our diet and came across this amazing recipe of Thai Fermented Rice Noodles.

Khanom Chin is fermented rice noodles originating from Thailand that are long, round, elastic, and have a beautiful glaze on them. Their chewy texture, tangy, and nutty flavour is absolutely delicious. Making fully fermented rice noodles is a long process that needs all your patience, and honestly, it is one of the most difficult dishes I have made. But since we do not eat noodles very frequently, it works well for us given I make it once every few weeks. Also, once you make them, there is no going back to the readymade noodles, at least not for us. I usually serve the noodles with indo-chinese dishes to make a complete and delicious meal.

It takes a good 7 or 8 days by the time you get the fruit of your labour. But the best part of making fermented food is that most of the time involved is just wait time, while nature does its magic. I have adopted the original recipe and have tried to make it in a traditional way. It is a learning process and will take a few times to get it right, but totally worth the effort. This recipe is a keeper if you love authentic traditional recipes.

I have explained the recipe with step by step pictures for better understanding. Refer to pictures as you read the recipe for better understanding.

Thai Fermented Noodles step-by-step recipe with photos

1. Soak the rice in water and let it sit for three days (First fermentation)

2. Let the rice soak in salt brine for two to three days (Second fermentation)

3. Grind the rice with minimal water

4. Let the ground paste sit overnight

5. Pour the ground rice paste onto muslin or cheesecloth

6. Place a heavy weight on top and let it ferment for two days (Third fermentation)

7. Dried rice starch after third fermentation

8. Add hot water and knead the rice starch

9. Keep adding water slowly and knead the rice starch

10. Rice starch comes together after kneading

11. Place it in fresh muslin or cheesecloth and steam it

12. Steam until it is partially cooked

13. The outer 0.5 cm should be cooked (gelatinised)

14. Pound the dough and combine the gelatinised part of the dough with the rest of it

15. Add hot water and knead until the starch is creamy

16. Place the creamy rice starch onto a fresh muslin cloth

17. Pass the creamy rice starch through the muslin cloth

18. Discard the gelatinous lumps

19. Pour the rice starch into an extruder (chakli press)

20. Press the noodles carefully into boiling water

21. The noodles are cooked when it floats

22. Transfer the noodles into cold water

23. Rinse the noodles three times

24. Glossy noodles after rinsing

25. Drain the excess water

26. Fermented rice noodles are ready to be served

Thai fermented noodles

Shilpa

Khanom Chin is fermented rice noodles originating from Thailand that are long, round, elastic and have a beautiful glaze on them. Their chewy texture, tangy and nutty flavour is absolutely delicious.

5 from 2 votes

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Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 3 hrs
Fermentation TIme 6 d
Total Time 6 d 3 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

2 cups Rice (I have used sona masoori)
Water
Salt

Instructions

FIRST FERMENTATION (3 DAYS)
Wash the rice thoroughly
Place the rice in sufficient water to cover it completely
Cover with a plate
Let it sit in a dark spot (like inside a cupboard) for three days
Make sure you wash and refresh the water every day
SECOND FERMENTATION (3 DAYS)
Add salt to the water and mix well to make brine (you will need 4 tbsp of salt for every 1 litre of water)
Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in brine
Leave the rice undisturbed in a dark spot for the next two to three days
COLLECTING THE RICE STARCH
Wash the rice thoroughly
Grind the rice with minimal water (I have used a stone wet grinder to grind the rice. If you don’t have a stone grinder, you can use a blender)
Pour the ground rice into a vessel. Cover and let it sit overnight in the cupboard. This will help the rice particles to settle
DRYING AND THIRD FERMENTATION (2 DAYS)
Place muslin or cheesecloth onto a sieve and place the sieve on a large bowl
Pour the rice mixture onto the set cheesecloth
Bring all the ends of the cheesecloth together and tie it
Place a heavy weight onto it, allowing the excess water to drain off (see picture)
Place it in the cupboard for two days
EXTRACTING THE CREAM STARCH
Remove the dried starch from the muslin cloth and place in a wide tray
Slowly add hot water and knead into a dough
Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in a fresh muslin cloth
Place the wrapped dough in a steamer and steam for 4-5 minutes
Remove the dough from the steamer. It will only be cooked partially at this stage
Use a spoon to check the thickness of the cooked dough. The outer 0.5 cm should be cooked (gelatinised)
Place the semi-cooked dough into a wide tray. Pound the dough and combine the gelatinised part of the dough with the rest of it. This must be done while the dough is still hot (refer picture)
Once the cooked and uncooked dough is combined, add a small amount of hot water and knead it well
Continue to knead until it reaches a creamy consistency (refer picture)
Pass the creamy starch into a muslin cloth to remove any gelatinised part of the dough. Discard the gelatinous lumps
MAKING THE NOODLES
Boil water in a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Add a small amount of cold water to remove the air bubbles
Now swirl the water to create turbulence
Pour the rice starch into an extruder (chakli press)
Press carefully onto the hot water laying the noodles into it
The noodles will initially settle down and when they are cooked, they will float on the wate
Carefully scoop out the cooked noodles and transfer them to cold water
Rinse the noodles in fresh, cold water three times
Remove the noodles from water and lightly press them to remove excess water
The noodles are ready to be served

Nutrition Facts

Thai fermented noodles

Amount Per Serving

Calories 135 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 2mg0%
Potassium 43mg1%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%

Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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