A classic northern-style chicken vermicelli soup with a rich broth made from homemade spice blends. Served with turmeric-tinted vermicelli, red sambal, soy sauce sambal, and crispy homemade fried shallots. Budget-friendly yet festive enough for open houses and gatherings.
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1
Soak 500g rice vermicelli in regular water with 1 tablespoon turmeric powder for about 30 minutes until soft, avoiding hot water to prevent mushiness.
2
Prepare spring onion stems and roots by cutting into sections and lightly crushing to release aroma. Do the same with lemongrass.
3
Coarsely chop 4 small shallots, 3 garlic cloves, and 2 inches of ginger, then pound in a mortar until finely ground.
4
Cut 1 whole chicken into 16 pieces or smaller, setting aside 2 large pieces of breast meat for separate boiling.
5
Heat 1 ladle of cooking oil in a large pot, then toast the four mixed spices (cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom) to release their aromas.
6
Add the previously pounded shallot-garlic-ginger mixture, continuing to sauté until fragrant and golden brown—this step is crucial for developing the broth's depth.
7
Add all chicken pieces except the reserved breast meat, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 0.5 tablespoon fennel powder, and 0.5 tablespoon cumin powder, mixing until spices coat everything.
8
Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
9
Add about 2 liters of water, the reserved spring onion stems and celery roots, 1 tablespoon white pepper powder, 0.5 tablespoon coarsely ground black peppercorns, and rinse water from the mortar, then cover to simmer gently.
10
Once broth boils, add 1 chicken stock cube (or 2 if preferred) and 0.5 tablespoon MSG powder, then add the reserved chicken breast meat to avoid overcooking.
11
Cook on low heat to gently extract bone flavor, occasionally skimming off scum and excess oil. Add more water as needed to reach 4-4.5 liters total, keeping broth slightly thin, and season with salt to taste.
12
Once the chicken breast is fully cooked, remove and drain it. When the broth is boiling, sprinkle in celery leaves as a final touch, then turn off the heat.
13
Make soy sauce sambal by coarsely chopping half a large onion, 5–6 garlic cloves, and 10–15 bird's eye chilies, lightly breaking them before quick-frying until wilted, then blending with 1 cup sweet soy sauce.
14
Make red sambal by blending 10 dried chilies (seeds removed) with the remaining half onion, adding a little water while blending.
15
Heat 0.5 cup cooking oil, sauté the blended chili-onion mixture until oil separates, then add 2 tablespoons chili powder and continue cooking.
16
Once oil separates, add a little tamarind juice for sourness, salt to taste, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 0.5 tablespoon seasoning powder, adding water if needed to prevent drying out, cooking until glossy and thick.
17
Prepare fried tofu by mixing with a little salt, then frying in hot oil until golden and crispy on both sides, then draining.
18
Prepare homemade fried shallots by thinly slicing 10–15 rose shallots (ensuring they are completely dry), then mixing with 0.5 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons rice flour.
19
Fry in hot oil until very crispy. Initially it fries slowly; when edges start browning, stir frequently. Once evenly golden, quickly remove and drain to prevent bitterness.
20
Cook the soaked vermicelli in a pot until soft but not mushy—no need to boil, just turn off heat once soft. Quickly drain, then rinse under cold tap water to stop cooking and reduce stickiness.
21
Prepare condiments: finely slice celery leaves and spring onions. If using whole salted radish, finely chop it, soak in hot water for 2–3 minutes, then drain. Thinly slice the fried tofu.
22
Shred the cooked chicken breast meat coarsely and set aside.
23
To serve: place yellow vermicelli in a bowl, ladle hot chicken soup with pieces over it, sprinkle with shredded chicken. Add fried tofu, salted radish, celery leaves, and spring onions, top with both sambals, and finish with a generous handful of homemade fried shallots.
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