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Lao

Khao piak sen

Non-vegetarian

ເຂົ້າປຽກເສັ້ນ · khao piak sen

Lao comfort food: chewy hand-cut rice and tapioca noodles cooked straight in a gingery chicken broth, which turns silky and thick, topped with fried garlic and herbs.

Khao piak sen is a Lao soup from Laos, ready in about 1 hour 55 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, rice flour and tapioca starch. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
40 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Total
1 h 55 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
715

Ingredients

4 servings

For the broth

For the noodles

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Simmer the chicken in the water with the lemongrass (opens in a new tab), galangal (opens in a new tab) and shallots (opens in a new tab) until tender. Lift out the chicken, shred the meat and return the bones to simmer 20 minutes more. Strain and season with fish sauce (opens in a new tab), salt and sugar (opens in a new tab).

    Food safety: Cook chicken until no pink remains and the juices run clear (74 °C in the thickest part).

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Mix the rice flour (opens in a new tab), tapioca starch (opens in a new tab) and salt, pour in the boiling water and stir, then knead to a smooth, soft dough. Rest 10 minutes under a cloth.

    • 10 min

  3. Step 3

    Roll the dough 3 mm thick on a surface dusted with tapioca starch (opens in a new tab) and cut into thin noodles. Toss them in a little starch so they don't stick.

  4. Step 4

    Fry the garlic (opens in a new tab) in the oil until pale golden; set aside with its oil.

  5. Step 5

    Bring the broth to a boil, shake excess starch from the noodles and drop them in. Cook, stirring, until they float and turn translucent; the broth will thicken.

    • 6 min
    • medium-high heat

  6. Step 6

    Add the shredded chicken, ladle into bowls and top with garlic (opens in a new tab) oil, spring onion (opens in a new tab), coriander and pepper (opens in a new tab). Serve with sprouts, lime (opens in a new tab) and chilli.

    • 3 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Laos · Well documentedMore food from Laos
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Soups · Noodles
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
savoury, garlicky, aromatic / warmly spiced, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Rice flour · Tapioca starch · Lemongrass · Galangal · Shallot
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

715 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 975 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 18%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 43%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy715 kcal73 kcal
Protein32.8 g3.4 g
Carbohydrate68.8 g7.1 g
Net carbohydrate66.1 g6.8 g
Sugars4.2 g0.4 g
Added sugars1 g0.1 g
Fibre2.7 g0.3 g
Fat33.7 g3.5 g
Saturated fat7.4 g0.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol113 mg12 mg
Sodium1405 mg144 mg
Salt equivalent3.5 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
573 mg
Calcium
135 mg
Iron
3.4 mg
Magnesium
93 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
76 µg
Vitamin C
9 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
41 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: bean sprouts, lime, fresh red chilli.
  • Galangal: Fresh ginger used as a stand-in: no galangal entry in FDC SR Legacy, and galangal is a closely related rhizome used in similar small amounts.
  • Tapioca starch: Dry pearl tapioca (FDC 169717) used as a stand-in; both are almost pure cassava starch.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use water at a rolling boil for the dough — it partly cooks the starch and makes the dough workable.

Common mistakes

  • Shaking off too little starch, which makes the soup gluey.

Serve with

  • A spoonful of chilli paste and fresh lime brightens each bowl.

Storage

  • Noodles absorb broth as they sit; store broth and chicken separately for up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat broth to a boil and cook fresh noodles in it.

Variations

  • Khao piak sen with pork: Use pork bones and sliced pork instead of chicken.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 6

Reviews & corrections

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