Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Recipe only

This Thai coconut chicken soup (Tom Kha Gai) is definitely one of my favorite Thai dishes. The food of Thailand is startlingly bold and imaginative. Carefully crafted to appeal to all senses, it combines beautiful presentation with fragrant aromas, contrasting yet complementing flavors and textures, and often fearsome chili-heat.

Although Thai food appears unique it is in fact one of the world’s great fusion cuisines. The country may never have been colonized, but Thai cooks certainly absorbed foreign influences. 

INGREDIENTS

3 cups (750 ml) coconut milk

2 fresh lemongrass stalks, white part only, bruised

5 cm piece fresh galangal, sliced

4 Asian shallots, smashed with the back of a chefs knife

400 g chicken breast, skin removed, cut into slices

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon palm sugar

200 g baby tomatoes, cut in half

150 g straw mushrooms

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

5 fresh kaffir lime leaves, bruised

4 fresh birds eye chilies, seeded, finely sliced

fresh coriander leaves to garnish

METHOD

1. In a medium sauce pan add the coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, and shallots and bring to the boil.

2. Add the chicken, fish sauce and palm sugar, turn down to a slow simmer, stir constantly for about 4 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked.

3. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the lime juice, kaffir lime leaves and chilies in the last few seconds. Taste the soup and adjust if you like. It should be mild, sweet, salty, and sour. Serve in bowls and garnish with coriander leaves.