Tom Kha Gai - Chicken in herbal coconut milk

Tom Kha Gai

One of the three most requested dishes in our Thai Cooking Class, Tom Kha Gai is everyone’s favourite. So easy to make if you have the key herbs -lemongrass and galangal. If they are rare where you are, buy them when available, prep and freeze them. Whenever you feel like a smooth and warm Thai classic soup, get your coconut milk ready in pot and toss in the herbs! You can change the chicken meat here to prawns of you like -it will be called Tom Kha Gung.

Ingredients

  • 11/2 cup chicken stock or water
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 150g chicken breast (or protein of choice), cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 100g Oyster mushrooms, or Straw mushrooms, or Shimeji mushrooms
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, smashed and cut into 5 cm pieces
  • 3 slices galangal
  • 3 Kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 coriander root, crushed
  • 1-3 chillies, bruised
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce (or extra 1/2 tsp salt for vegetarian)
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice

Directions

  1. In a soup pot, add chicken stock or water, lemongrass, galangal, Kaffir lime leaves, shallots, coriander roots, and salt.
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, add coconut milk, mushrooms, tomato wedges, bring it to a gentle boil for a few minutes.
  3. Add chicken (or protein of choice). Stir gently to break off the chicken pieces. Leave until the chicken is cooked well.
  4. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, and chillies, to taste.
  5. Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander and spring onion.
  6. Drizzle with chilli oil, if desired, and serve.