Tom Kha Gai

This is my take on a classic Thai spicy sweet and sour soup. There are probably more recipes than Thai people but the basics are all the same: chicken and galangal.

While my boys love (almost) all Asian dishes, my daughter is more picky. A soup in summer is not what she would choose as her favourite, but sometimes she has to go with the flow.

Galangal is not Ginger

Both galangal and ginger are rhizomes, a type of underground creeping stem of a plant that sends out shooters to create new plants, in the ginger family (turmeric and cardamom are also in this family). Their biggest difference is their taste: galangal has a sharp citrusy, almost piney flavor, while ginger is fresh, pungently spicy, and barely sweet — that means that they cannot be used interchangeably.

Galangal is also called "Thai ginger"

The skin of galangal is smoother and paler than ginger and its flesh is much harder. It can’t be grated like ginger can, but instead must be sliced. The flavor of galangal is much stronger too; it’s earthy, sharp, and extra citrusy.

It's not really part of the real one: vegetables.

I add some asian vegetables to my version of Tom kha gai.

I use Thai eggplant, which actually comes from the Cambodian kitchen. These golfball sized aubergines taste very mild.

I also take a few pieces of okra. Okra makes the soup even creamier. Okra is also found in South Asian cuisine, though not in the original Tom Kha Gai.

Also, I add a few pieces of baby corn to it and it gives a certain crunch.

Ingredients

For 6 people:

0,5 litre of coconut milk

1 litre of chicken broth

2 stems lemongrass

7 cm Galangal, peeled, cut in large pieces

3 chili peppers, whole, red

4 tablespoons fish sauce

8 Kaffir lime leaves (Bai Magrood)

750 g chicken breasts, cut into small cubes or strips

300 g mushrooms, quartered (or fresh straw mushrooms)

juice of 2 limes

4 baby corn, cut in pieces (optional)

6 Thai eggplant, cut in quarters (optional)

6 pieces of okra, cut in pieces (optional)

1 teaspoon palm sugar, possibly a little more (or refined sugar)

20 g of cilantro

couple of chili peppers (according to own taste)

Salt, pepper, fish sauce to taste

Preparation

Tap the lemongrass lightly with the back of a knife.

Bring the broth and half of the coconut milk to the boil and add the lemon grass, galangal, Magrood leaves and chillies, season with the fish sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and the vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the chicken meat and cook for a few minutes on a low heat, it must remain tender.

Add the remaining coconut milk and season with lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Arrange in bowls and garnish with chilli strips and cilantro.

The soup should taste freshly sour and slightly salty.

Note:

Lemon grass, galangal and Magrood are seasoning ingredients and are not eaten. If you want to avoid separating them during the meal, fish them out of the soup with a skimmer before the mushrooms are added.