Tom Ka Gai is also known as Thai coconut chicken soup. It is an authentic soup full of amazing Thai flavors. The broth is a hot and sour, spicy chicken soup made with coconut milk, galangal, Thai chili, coriander, lemongrass, straw mushrooms, chicken, and fish sauce. The use of galangal combined with the lemongrass brings a strong punch to the soup flavor profile. Because of the resemblance to ginger, galangal is called the Tai ginger. Compared to ginger, galangal has a sharp citrusy, almost piney flavor, and rose aroma, while ginger is fresh, pungently spicy, and barely sweet, which makes them very different.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time13 minutesmins
Total Time33 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: Tom Ka Gai
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4stalkslemongrass,roots trimmed
14fl.oz coconut milk
3cupschicken stock
1inchpiece fresh galangal,peeled and finely sliced
12wholeblack peppercorns,crushed
15leaveskaffir lime,torn
11ounces chicken breast,boneless, skinless and cut into thin strips
6ouncesbutton white mushrooms,halved and sliced
4ouncesbaby corn cobs,quartered lengthways
4tablespoonslime juice
3tablespoonsThai fish sauce
GARNISH
2 to 3red chillies,seeded and finely chopped
0.5cupgreen onions,finely sliced
0.25cupcoriander leaves,fresh
Instructions
Cut off the lower 2 inches from each lemongrass stalk and chop it finely. Bruise the remaining pieces of stalks, by crushing them lengthwise with a pestle. Bring the coconut milk and chicken stock to a boil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped and bruised lemongrass, the galangal, peppercorns, and half the kaffir lime leaves, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Strain the soup into a clean pan. Return the soup to low heat, and then stir in the chicken strips, mushrooms, and corn. Simmer gently, occasionally stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce, then add the remaining lime leaves. Ladle into warm bowls and serve, garnished with chopped chilies, spring onions and coriander leaves.