Thai Galangal Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

⏳ Time

40 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

The main ingredient is a ready-made Thai vegetable set for Tom Kha from a common grocery store. Among popular brands of coconut milk, Santa Maria is particularly good, and Aroy D is also decent. Mushrooms can be shiitake, enoki, or wild mushrooms. Button mushrooms are also suitable. Thai fish sauce is easier to find (use three tablespoons), but a more flavorful Vietnamese nuoc mam is more interesting — you can use less of it. One and a half chili peppers is a nice starting amount. Add more to taste. I like Tom Kha to be sour. One medium lime works well, but one and a half is better.

Ingredients

Lime - 1 piece
Thai Vegetable Set 'Tom Kha' - 1 piece
Coconut Milk - 13 fl oz
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 2 teaspoons
Chicken Drumstick - 5 pieces
Water - 25 fl oz
Fish Oil - 3 tablespoons
Fresh Mushrooms - 3.5 oz
Cilantro - 5 stems

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Boil the chicken in 750 ml of water, skimming off the foam. Add salt. You can also add celery to taste.

Step 2

While the chicken is boiling (for about 20 minutes), slice the galangal into thin pieces, bruise the lemongrass, and chop the mushrooms.

Step 3

Set aside the cooked chicken, separate the meat from the bones, and break it into small pieces.

Step 4

Add the mushrooms, lemongrass, galangal, and eggplants from the set to the broth. You can also chop any firm vegetables you have on hand. Cook for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Add the coconut milk, return the chicken to the soup, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 6

Add torn kaffir lime leaves, squeeze in the lime juice, and add sugar and fish sauce, adjusting the amounts to achieve a balanced flavor.

Step 7

Let it cool, fish out the lemongrass and lime leaves (you can return them to the soup later if you don't eat it all at once), serve in bowls, and add plenty of chopped cilantro.