Tom Kha Gai
Where tom yum shouts, tom kha soothes. Coconut milk softens the citrus of lemongrass and the pine of galangal into something gentle and warming, while mushrooms and chicken give it body. It comes together in under half an hour and tastes like it took far longer.
Ingredients
- 400ml coconut milk
- 500ml chicken stock
- 5 slices fresh galangal
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut into lengths
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 400g boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 150g oyster or button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Thai chiles, lightly crushed
- Fresh cilantro, to garnish
Method
- Pour the coconut milk and stock into a pot. Add the galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Let the aromatics steep at a low simmer for 8 minutes so the broth takes on their fragrance.
- Slide in the chicken and mushrooms. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through.
- Stir in the fish sauce and crushed chiles. Taste the broth, which should be savory and aromatic.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice, adding it last so it stays bright.
- Ladle into bowls, scatter with cilantro, and serve. Warn diners to eat around the lemongrass and galangal.