To fry chili flakes:

Saute the chili flakes over medium low heat in some vegetable oil, there should be plenty of oil for the chilies to cook in, so if it looks dry, add more oil until it looks thoroughly wet. Keep stirring until you can smell smokiness from the chilies and the chilies start to darken. When finished, transfer into a small bowl immediately.

Make the soup:

In a pot, add a little bit of vegetable oil and saute the curry paste over medium high heat for about 30 seconds. Add ½ cup of the coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the coconut milk dries up and the paste becomes thick. For certain types of coconut milk, the coconut oil should also start to separate from the paste at this point. Add the chicken and toss to coat in the curry paste. Add the remaining coconut milk, water, and most of the seasoning, reserving some for final adjustment. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and let the chicken braise for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is fork tender. Once the chicken is done, taste and adjust seasoning, adding more water if necessary.

Make crispy noodles:

You can use the flat noodles for this if there is extra, otherwise thin egg noodles look best when fried. Cut the noodles a few times so they are not too long. Heat about 1" of oil in a wide pot or wok. When the oil is at 350F, add just a small amount of the noodles as they will expand significantly. Press the noodles down slightly as they fry. Once the bubbling starts to subside, flip the noodles over. Once the bubbling stops, remove the noodles immediately and let drain on paper towel.

When ready to serve:

Blanch the noodles in boiling water for about 1 minute or until the noodles are cooked through. Drain well and transfer into a bowl. Pour the soup over the noodles. Serve with a slice of lime, shallots, pickled mustard greens, and fried chilies. You can also sprinkle some chopped cilantro and/or green onions for extra garnish.

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