Tom kha gai

Tom kha gai

This chicken soup with galangal and mushrooms is perhaps Thailand’s most famous soup and is widely eaten throughout South East Asia.

In Thailand soups are not restricted to a single separate course on a menu, as they are in the Western world. Instead they make up an essential part of people’s daily diet and are eaten and enjoyed in small portions at any time of the day or night. Almost all Thai soups are based on stock, known as “geng jeut“ in Thai, which literally means “dull liquid”. Simplicity is the key feature of soups from Thailand. Only a few ingredients are used to complement the flavour of the stock: mushrooms, vegetables, prawns and chicken, along with some fresh ginger, galangal, garlic, chillies, coriander leaves and spring onions. As the vegetable and chicken soups are prepared with very little salt and no fat at all, they are light and low in calories.

Tom kha gai is based on a simple, clear chicken stock flavoured with lemongrass and ginger. Coconut milk and coconut cream are added, together with spices, plus mushrooms and chicken to give the soup some substance. Although the name of the soup means “boiled galangal”, most people associate it with chicken. However, in Thailand Tom kha can be made with mussels, fish, all types of mushrooms and pork. Our Tom kha gai features the wonderful combination of creamy coconut milk and spicy galangal, which creates a delicate balance between sweet and sour. Our Tom kha gai features the wonderful combination of creamy coconut milk and spicy galangal, which creates a delicate balance between sweet and sour.

Text: Rainer Meier

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 lemongrass stalks (only the inner leaves), 3 cm of fresh galangal root (peeled), 1–2 red chillies (deseeded), 8–12 kaffir lime leaves, 1 bunch of coriander (with roots), 800 ml Asian chicken stock (see below), 2 chicken breasts, 1 tbsp oil, 200 g mushrooms (cleaned straw, oyster or button mushrooms), 400 ml coconut milk, 2–3 tbsp fish sauce, 2–3 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp palm sugar

Asian chicken stock: 1 l chicken stock, 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped), 1 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 star anise, 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped), 2 lemongrass stems (only the dry outer leaves, finely chopped)

Preparation:

1. To make the Asian chicken stock, add all the other ingredients to the stock, simmer it uncovered for 30 minutes (to reduce it to 800 ml) and then pour it through a sieve.
2. Finely chop the inner lemongrass leaves and the galangal and cut the chillies into rings. Pull the leaves off the coriander and put them on one side for serving. Chop the coriander roots and stems finely. Simmer all of this with the kaffir lime leaves in the Asian chicken stock for 5–7 minutes.
3. Brown the chicken breasts in very hot oil for 1 minute on each side. Cut the chicken and the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and add them to the soup with the coconut milk. Season with fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Simmer for 3–4 minutes and then season again to taste.

Tip:

• Coconut milk from Thailand is best for this soup.
• Sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves or chopped spring onions before serving.