Tom Kha Gai (Chicken and Coconut Soup with Galanga)

Thai Favorite Soups ... Mine Recommend!!

Thailand has two really famous soups: tom yum and tom kha gai. Both are complex and delicious, filled with exotic aromas and flavours. Such is the genius of Thai cuisine that although the two soups contain many of the same ingredients, their characters are completely distinct: tom yum takes on a fiery heat and slight sourness from the addition of chili paste (nam prik phao), while tom kha gai is silky smooth because of the inclusion of sweet and mellow coconut milk. I love them both, but this one is my favourite. The recipe above is pretty good, but not mine is a little different (and more authentic in both ingredients and method.

A note on the name: tom means boil or boiled in Thai, kha is galangal or galanga, and gai is chicken, so this is something like "boiled galangal chicken." More usually on menus in Thai restaurants it's something like chicken in coconut milk. The rest of today cooking word is Yum, means mix. So tom yum is "boiled mixed", hardly a good translation of what is more generally referred to as spicy sour soup.

This Hot Poultry Soups, my favorite, is a hot sweet and sour soup made with coconut milk, lemon grass and chicken. There are other versions made with either seafood (tom kha talay) or mushroom (tom kha het) too. All follow a similar recipe. When I studied in UK, we have an international party in the dorm … Guess what?

Yeah!... I choose Tom Kha Gai as a Thai food representative instead of Tom Yum Goong (Prawn hot and spicy soup). All roommates really like it (nothing left in their bowls of in the pot except the leaves and stalks of herbs), might because it’s only one dish that choose be the appetizer.

Ingredients:

48ml/16fl.oz. Chicken Stock
4 Kaffir Lime Leaves, finely shredded
4 stalks fresh Lemon Grass (cut each crosswise into 1-1 ½ inches)
2.5cm/1 inch length Galanga, sliced
4 tbsp Fish Sauce
2 tbsp Lime Juice
100g/1 whole Fresh Chicken Breast, shredded
150ml/4 ½ cups Coconut Milk
1 cup of mushrooms, halved lengthwise (sliced fresh button mushrooms also good to cook)
4 whole Small Thai Chili Peppers, lightly crushed
Fresh Coriander Leaves to garnish

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan together with the Kaffir leaves, lemon grass, galanga, and chilies.

2. Bring to the gentle boil (medium-hign heat) mixing well combine with the shredded chicken and coconut milk.

3. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Once the chicken is cooked, add the mushrooms and remove from heat. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste.

5. To serve - transfer to warmed soup bowls and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Please note that lemongrass, galanga, lime leaves, coriander roots - which impart amazing aroma and flavour, they are not meant to be eaten.