Tom Kha Kai Food

TOM KA KAI (THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• In the bottom of a large soup pot, heat the oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. I often make this is a wok on the stove.
• Salt the chicken and add to oil, tossing to brown all the pieces. Cook about 3 minutes or until outside is browned, but not necessarily cooked all the way through.
• Add mushrooms and toss. Allow to cook until some of the moisture is cooked out and the mushrooms are soft. Turn down heat to medium-low.
• To prepare the lemongrass, slice and mince the lower portion and reserve the stalk to flavor the soup. You can use a food processor for this, or just mince it by hand. The woody upper portion of the stalk will be removed later, so don't chop it up, simply score it by making a few superficial cuts in it to allow it to flavor the soup.
• Add the whites of the onions, reserving the greens. Add the minced lower portion of the lemongrass, grated galangal, and chilies. Toss until just warmed through.
• Add the lemongrass stalk, lime leaves, chicken stock, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar and remaining onions, reserving just a few for garnish. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend well.
• Taste test and adjust flavors as follows:.
• Not salty enough - add more fish sauce.
• Too sour - add a little more brown sugar.
• Too spicy - add more coconut milk.
• Not spicy enough - add more chilies.
• Ladle into 4 soup bowls and garnish with remaining onion greens, cilantro, and basil.
• Variations:.
• Add more vegetables such as some sliced red bell peppers with the mushrooms.
• Serve over wide rice noodles for a main dish serving.
• Make vegetarian by increasing mushrooms in place of chicken and substituting vegetable stock.

TOM KHA GAI

Steps:

• Bring coconut milk and broth to a boil, add thinly sliced galangal, minced ginger, and Thai chiles to soup - simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add chicken slices and stir occasionally until chicken is tenderly cooked.
• Add straw mushrooms and thinly sliced & deveined lime leaves.
• (optional : cut a few cross-sections of the lemon grass and add to the soup)
• (optional : cut tomatoes into largish cubes about 1/2" square, and add to soup).
• (optional : if you are using fresh limes, zest the lime peel into the soup).
• (optional : Add Thai chile paste or red curry paste).
• Stir well and simmer for 5-10 more minutes.
• Just before serving, turn off the heat, then add brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and stir well.
• Finisher's instructions: balance the flavors by adding more spicy (chile paste), sour (lime juice), or salty (fish sauce) until perfection is reached. Different brands may have different strength or acidity -- Be careful not to overdo any one dimension, and stir well inbetween
• Top with cilantro, and serve hot by itself or pour over rice.
• Leftovers are often even more flavorful the next day or two.

TOM KHA KAI (CHICKEN COCONUT SOUP)

Steps:

• Combine half the coconut milk with the galangal, lemon grass, and lime leaves in a large sauce pan and heat to boiling.
• Add chicken, fish sauce, and sugar.
• Simmer for about 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked, and then add the remaining coconut milk.
• Heat just to boiling and turn off the heat.
• Place the lime juice and chilli paste in a serving bowl and pour the soup over them.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and crushed chillies.

THAI COCONUT SOUP (TOM KHA KAI)

Steps:

• Dice the chicken into bite size cubes. Marinade with oyster sauce. Leave in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Slice the ginger up into really thin strips.
• Remove the outer leaves from the lemon grass until you get to the soft bit in the center. Now take a rolling pin or something heavy and batter the lemongrass.
• Place the water in a pot and start to heat, while the water is heating, juice your lime. When the water is getting hot, put the lime juice, lemongrass, galangal and fish sauce inches And bring to the boil.
• Once it starts to boil add the chicken and coconut milk, stir and bring it back to boil.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Keep stirring whilst doing this to avoid a skin forming.
• Serve the Tom Kha Gai when ready and garnish with the coriander and eat with rice.

TOM KHA KAI POINT 2

Steps:

• Bring broth to a boil, add chicken.
• While chicken is cooking, cut up peppers, mushrooms and onions.
• Add veggies to soup and simmer about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are done.
• Add coconut milk and seasonings.
• Simmer about 5 minutes more.
• Add lime juice, garnish with cilantro.
• Fresh lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves would be great if available. If so, add with veggies.