Thai Five-Spice Soup with Rice Chips, "Kua Chap"

Kua chap is a rich, healthy soup loaded with flavor and nutrition. We often take it camping, and more than once people have come by to mention the wonderful aroma. We also offer and instant kua chap soup from Mama.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2-3 lbs chicken drumsticks or wings
6 cups water
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon corriander seed
1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
2 hard boiled eggs
1 tablespoon five spice powder
5 tablespoons black sweet soy sauce
1/4 cup thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup large diced, extra-firm tofu, fried until crispy (optional)
3-5 fresh Thai chile peppers
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup vinegar
8 oz package rice flake

Method
Heat oil in heavy pot, then fry chicken parts until golden brown on both sides. Add water to the pot. In a mortar and pestle, pound garlic, corriander seed, and pepper powder, then add this paste to the pot. Add five spice powder, sweet soy sauce, thin soy sauce, sugar, salt and two hard-boiled eggs. Add tofu and stir. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

To prepare the rice flake: boil water in a large pot, then add bit by bit. Cook for 10 minutes. Transfer to another pot with a slotted spoon, and leave a little bit of water with the rice flake in order to make sure they won't stick together.

To prepare the sauce: in a mortar and pestle pound fresh Thai chiles into a fine paste. Transfer this to a small sauce dish, add vinegar and stir.

To serve: Pour the soup over the cooked rice flake. Serve with the spicy sauce, and fish sauce on the side to season. Top with spring onions and cilantro.

Ingredients ready		Preparing soup stock
Soup ready		Cooked rice flake
Pounded spicy sauce		Kua chap ready to enjoy
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