Finely chop the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli (or blitz them in a food processor). Warm the oil in a large, sturdy saucepan on a medium-low heat, then sweat the onion mix for 10 minutes, until soft and slightly golden.
Add the chicken, turmeric, paprika and a dash of fish sauce, and cook, stirring, until the chicken turns white and starts to sear. Add the stock, cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, then add the coconut milk and whole shallots.
Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through – you should now have a velvety and aromatic chicken coconut broth on a low simmer.
Put the chickpea flour in a jug, pour in 500ml boiling water and stir until smooth. Pour this bit by bit into the broth, stirring, until it thickens; don’t overdo it – you may not need all the chickpea flour mix.
Add fish sauce to taste and water to dilute, if need be, then leave to simmer on a low heat for five minutes while you get the noodles and garnishes ready.
Ladle the broth into four or six large bowls, add 60-70g cooked noodles to each and top with the chicken pieces.
Garnish with boiled a boiled egg halves, shallots, spring onions, and lots of coriander and freshly squeezed lime, and serve with the other garnishes on the side for everyone to add to taste.