Servings: people
Tom kha gai - Thai soup with chicken and coconut milk
Aside from Tom yum goong, this soup is probably one of the most popular in Thailand. It beautifully combines the creamy, the sour, the salty, the sweet, and the spicy.
Equipment
- Pot
- Cutting Board
- Chef'S Knife
Ingredients
- 2 cans Coconut Milk
- 500 gram Chicken Stock
- 10 slices Galangal Root thin, can be replaced with ginger
- lemongrass 1-2 stalks, cut into smaller pieces
- 8 pcs. Kaffir lime leaves
- 2 pcs. Chili red Thai chili, or more regular red chili
- 250 gram Mushroom
- 150 gram Oyster Mushrooms
- 400 gram Chicken Breast
- 75 gram Fish Sauce
- 3 pcs. Lime only the juice
- 30 gram Palm Sugar approximately, or cane sugar
- Thai Basil
- Cilantro fresh
Instructions
- Put coconut milk and chicken broth in a pot, and add thin slices of galanga or ginger, lemongrass stalks in smaller pieces, and kaffir lime leaves.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and oyster mushrooms, cut into quarters or halves depending on size, and chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces.
- The soup should not be extremely spicy, but it should have a bit of a kick.
- Two small Thai chilies will take care of that.
- Cut them into paper-thin slices and add them to the soup.
- Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards!
- Let the soup continue to simmer until the chicken and mushrooms are cooked, and season the soup with fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar.
- Here, it's essential to find the balance between the sour, the salty, and the sweet.
- My measurements may not suit your taste buds, so adjust to taste!
- If the soup lacks depth, you can add a bit of extra concentrated chicken stock.
- Finally, add fresh Thai basil and coriander to the soup.
Notes
NOTE: Galangal tastes quite different from ginger. Make an effort to get galangal - it can be ordered online or bought at well-stocked greengrocers.