Thai Tom Kha soup with coconut milk and chicken

Thai Tom Kha soup with coconut milk and chicken

Thai Tom Kha soup with coconut milk and chicken

Thai coconut milk soup Tom Kha Gai is a world-famous Thai dish. Anyone who has ever been to the Kingdom of Thailand, or at least plans to go there in the foreseeable future, has probably heard a lot about this soup. This is truly a very pleasant dish, one of the hallmarks of Thai national cuisine. The base of Tom Kha soup is coconut milk. It is diluted with chicken broth during production so that the soup is not so thick. Pieces of chicken and mushrooms are added to the soup (seafood can be used instead of chicken, and shrimp first). In the homeland of this dish, they eat Tsaogu mushrooms, or, as they are also called, straw mushrooms. Tom Kha Gai soup, in addition to coconut milk, is given a special taste by local spices - galangal root, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass (or lemongrass). These ingredients are not eaten - they are very fragrant, but at the same time hard. When they eat soup, they are left in the plate. These spices give the dish a wonderful citrusy smell. In addition to the fragrant roots and leaves, other classic seasonings of Thai cuisine are also used - palm sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and the spicy-sweet Nam Prik Pao paste.

Tom Kha is a mixture thicker than ordinary soups, with a wonderful nutty and milky taste, moderately sweet, moderately salty, slightly sour and slightly spicy. The degree of spiciness of this soup is regulated by the eaters themselves.

Tom Kha Gai is served hot and instead of bread, boiled snow-white unleavened rice (jasmine, basmati or tamasha) is served with it. It's quick and easy to prepare. If you haven't tried Tom Kha Gai yet, you should definitely try it. If you are a vegetable eater, you can replace chicken meat with tofu, and fish sauce with regular salt.

For 3-4 servings you will need:

• chicken broth – 200 ml (homemade or from a cube),
• chicken breast fillet (boneless and skinless) – 200 g,
• coconut milk – 1 can (400 ml),
• Thai Tom Kha paste – 50 g,
• champignon mushrooms – 4 pcs. (average),
• Thai chili paste (Nam Prik Pao) – 1 tbsp. (or to taste)
• palm sugar - to taste,
• fish sauce - to taste,
• lime juice - to taste.

To serve the dish (optional):

• cilantro greens,
• boiled rice (jasmine, basmati, tamasha).

The recipe for this dish is very simple, especially in the version made from ready-made Tom Kha paste. This paste will give the dish the corresponding well-known taste. It is prepared with galangal root, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass stems and reddish chili pepper. By the way, despite the criticism of ready-made pastes made using the factory method, such Thai products are of the highest quality. In addition, Thai pastes (such as Tom Yum, Tom Kha pastes, various curry pastes) are a good candidate for the freshest Thai roots and leaves, which are not sold everywhere and are not stored for very long. And if you are a big fan of Thai cuisine at home, then such pastes are a lifesaver. 10-15 minutes - and your favorite dish is ready.

First you need to prepare the ingredients for this wonderful soup.

Chicken meat must be rinsed and cut into small pieces or strips - as you like. Rinse and cut the mushrooms. It is more authentic to use Tsaogu mushrooms (straw mushrooms) in this soup. In our country they are not sold fresh, but you can buy them in canned form. The second most preferred mushrooms for Tom Kha soup are oyster mushrooms. They can be purchased fresh. The next option is champignons. But we wouldn’t recommend shiitake. This mushroom has a very appropriate taste and smell, and it will obviously stand out against the coconut milk and dominate the taste of the soup. But again it's a matter of taste.

About mushroom cutting:

– if you use Tsaogu mushrooms, cut them in half lengthwise;
– if oyster mushrooms are used, cut them into strips;
– if you use champignons, then cut them into slices (small mushrooms into 4 parts, larger ones into 6 or even 8 parts).

Pour the chicken broth into a saucepan (or wok), add coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Reduce heat to low, add Tom Kha paste and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add chicken pieces, mushrooms and Thai chili paste to the pan. In Thailand it is called Nam Prik Pao. When we add the paste given to us, coconut milk changes its own color, since the paste contains vegetable oil, palm sugar and chili. Stir the contents of the pan and cook for about 10 minutes (until the chicken is cooked).

Approximately 5 minutes before the end of cooking the soup, you can taste the broth. If you think it is very thick, you can dilute it with hot water from a kettle. Tom Kha and Nam Prik Pao pastes already contain salt, palm sugar and lemongrass, so there may be no need to add salt, sweeten and acidify. If you still think that it is necessary to adjust the taste, then add salt (fish sauce), sweeten (palm sugar) and add a citrus sour taste (lime juice). If you like it spicier, you can add fresh chili peppers cut into thin rings.

It is better not to cook such soups in reserve, like cabbage soup. Such dishes are prepared quickly, and fresh food is always tastier and more aromatic.

Thai Tom Kha soup - a traditional homemade recipe

Hello, dear readers of our magazine! Today Tom Kha with coconut milk and chicken. Let's look at a traditional recipe for Thai soup at home.

“Taste what spiciness is... and the spicy moon, and the sweet wind...” Oriental dishes are fabulously tasty, especially and very spicy. If you have been to Thailand, you have certainly tried the famous Tom Kha. For Russians it is slightly islandish, but we still love to cook and eat something exotic.

Tom (boil) Kha (Galangal root) is a common Thai soup made with coconut milk. There are 6 main cooking options: with chicken, with seafood, with pork, with shrimp, with bamboo, with fish. Now we will look at the main, traditional option with chicken.

Ingredients

Step-by-step recipe with photos

Video recipe

Other recipes

• With shrimps

Tom Kha soup with the addition of shrimp has a subtle taste. We cook everything according to the traditional recipe, but instead of chicken fillet we add shrimp. It can't be beat if it's king prawns. They are huge, delicious and look better when served.

• With seafood

Add seafood 10 minutes before cooking. Everything else follows a step-by-step traditional recipe. The result is an exotic soup with mussels, shrimp and cuttlefish. This is special, wonderful and very tasty!

A completely strange dish for our perception, but if you still manage to find all the ingredients for it, then you will not regret it. To make this option, young bamboo shoots are used; they are added during cooking together with lemongrass and lime leaves. It is easier to purchase canned bamboo shoots in stores. Try making this soup, it will be mind-blowing!

• With fish

Everything is the same, only instead of chicken fillet there is fish. It is better if it is a reddish fish of good quality. It turns out to be an exotic dish. The finished fish swims in a snow-white broth along with lemongrass, herbs, cilantro and lime leaves. Very wonderful, and the main thing is that the taste is completely new!

Simply prepared according to the traditional recipe. Instead of chicken, take 200 g of sliced ​​pork and 1 kg of pork on the bone. The result is a sweet and sour, very spicy Thai soup, not easy for a European to understand. But if you try it, you will like it more and more. Coconut milk and kha will do their job - your taste spectrum will expand. This dish is guaranteed to be a success!

Useful tips

1. You can buy coconut milk at the store, but it is better to prepare it yourself. I’ll share how to prepare it at home: grind the coconut pulp, mix with water, beat in a blender, then squeeze the mass through a sieve. What comes out is a delicious snow-white liquid with a gentle smell.
2. We add lime juice at the very end of preparation so that long boiling of the soup does not destroy the taste and smell.
3. To serve, be sure to cook the rice. I advise you to buy Basmati, it is naturally more expensive, but you will not regret trying this variety. You don’t need to rinse it for a long time, it will literally turn out crumbly.
4. Thais eat Straw Mushrooms. If you can get them, it’s unsurpassed; if not, then cook them with ordinary champignons, I assure you, it won’t harm the taste.
5. Cut the lime so that it is easier to squeeze out the juice: cut into 5 parts, evenly cutting out the core.
6. Cut the onion into 4 parts and put it in the pan at the very end of cooking so that it crunches slightly.
7. Thais serve rice with all watery dishes; it replaces bread.
8. For a good broth, use chicken with bones and skin. During the cooking process, add 5-6 cloves of garlic without peeling them. They can be deleted later.
9. The broth can be prepared in advance by cooking the chicken overnight (that is, in the dark) over very low heat.
10. It is very convenient to cook if you buy a set for Tom Kha in the supermarket. It will contain all the exotic ingredients that are difficult to purchase separately: galangal root, lime leaves, lemongrass, lime.
11. You can add fresh tomatoes, cut into 4 parts - it will be even tastier.
12. If you prefer it sour, add more Tamarind Sauce. Usually 3-4 spoons are used, but 5 is possible.
13. I don’t recommend even starting to cook Tom Kha if you don’t have the main ingredients - galangal root and coconut milk. If you still plan to enjoy Thai food, buy all the ingredients in advance and carefully cook according to the step-by-step recipe. This is not cabbage soup for you, into which you can put a little more or a little less and adjust it later, it’s just a spicy exotic dish that requires careful, pedantic attention to the recipe.
14. Do not add salt to the broth when cooking meat or chicken. Add some salt to the soup itself.
15. Fish sauce replaces salt and serves as a flavor enhancer, so if you add salt, do it carefully.
16. Instead of chili pepper, you can use chili jam; it will give beautiful reddish stains on the surface of the food.
17. The lemongrass trunk must be beaten to release the juice, or finely chopped.
18. Add large pieces of greens, stems, and leaves to each plate. It is absolutely not necessary to eat them, but even on a plate they will continue to give off their own smell.

Direct your attention

A few key details to keep in mind.

1. In my opinion, the biggest difference between Tom Kha and Russian soup is that its components are cut very large or completely added.
2. Galangal root - the main ingredient of Tom Kha - is a root vegetable related to ginger. If, due to accidental forgetfulness, you did not purchase Kha, you can replace it with ginger root, although the taste of the soup will change. It will turn out very bitter, so you need to add very little ginger.
3. Tamarind paste will add sourness and the taste of certain oriental spices. Lemongrass and lime leaves are needed for flavor, chili pepper for heat.
4. The soup has an oily, distinct coconut flavor because it is prepared with coconut milk. I often use coconut milk in my own recipes, when I cook it myself, although now it can be purchased at any supermarket.

Conclusion

The finished soup is very beautiful, indescribably fragrant and savory. I cooked it carefully. At this point, let’s set the table, arrange the dish and eat everything with pleasure. Bon appetit to us and to you!

Have you prepared Tom Kha? Or do you prefer to eat this dish only in Thailand? Try to create it without the help of others. The kitchen will be filled with a lovely smell, and the taste will pleasantly amaze you.

Write your memories in the comments, we are curious how it turns out for you.

Tom Kha - Thai soup at home

I haven’t shared delicious recipes with you for a long time, it’s all because of my vacation :). In fact, during it I became inspired by Thai cuisine and would like to present to your attention one of the most popular dishes in Thailand - Tom Kha coconut milk soup.

As for me, Tom Kha is even more than a soup. More precisely, it is absolutely not the soup that we imagine most often when talking about soups in our latitudes.

Tom Kha has a unique sweetish-spicy taste, filled with herbal aromas: lemongrass, cilantro, lime leaves. Also, ginger root - an indispensable ingredient - adds piquancy and a catchy flavor color. The amount of chili pepper (or lack thereof) can be used to control the heat and how warm your Tom Kha will be.

In short, there is room for your imagination here too. In addition, you can cook it with chicken, shrimp, other seafood, or make it completely vegetarian.

Don’t be confused by the names of the rarest herbs: nowadays you can increasingly find them in markets or in special departments of hypermarkets (where they are packaged and sold in sets with the appropriate names). Also, spice sets for Tom Kha and other Thai soups can be ordered online.

It should be noted that there are many options for making this soup. What can they say, even in any Thai restaurant they prepare it differently. Only the main ingredients remain unchanged.

My version of Tom Kha soup is very easy to make. And if you love its ingredients individually, I assure you that this taste will captivate you! The dish is truly exotic (and, by the way, very satisfying:) with which you can amaze your loved ones and serve it at a ceremonial table.

Tom Kha: step-by-step recipe

Ingredients (for 2-3 servings):

• chicken broth – 300 ml;
• coconut milk – 200-250 ml;
• lemongrass – ½ stem (or 3-4 pinches dried);
• fresh ginger – 1 small root;
• cilantro – 1 bunch;
• lime juice – 2 tbsp;
• champignons (fresh or canned) – 100 g;
• chicken breast or seafood – 200-250 g;
• tomato – 2 pcs. small (or 1 large);
• shallots - a couple of stems;
• onion – 1 piece;
• lime leaves (optional) – 2-3 pcs;
• chili pepper (optional) – 1 pc. or to your taste;
• salt – ½ tsp.

The lemongrass trunk must be slightly beaten to release the juice and cut into 1-2 cm pieces.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil, add sliced ​​ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves (if using), coarsely chopped onion and tomato, cook for 5-7 minutes over low heat.

Add coconut milk, finely chopped chili pepper (optional). Then – mushrooms (cut into halves or quarters), pieces of chicken or seafood and cook until done (if with chicken, then 7-10 minutes; seafood will be cooked in a few minutes). Add some salt.

Remove from heat and only then add cilantro, shallots and lime juice.

Thai Tom Kha soup is ready - bon appetit!

Thai soup “Tom Kha” with chicken

Thai soup with an exotic taste will help you vary your diet. This is a traditional recipe for Tom Kha coconut soup with chicken. Like all dishes from the kingdom of Thailand, the soup contains a range of all flavors. which you can only imagine: salty, sweet, creamy, hot, sour, spicy. It is not recommended to replace the ingredients of the soup with the most affordable options. The only exception applies to tree mushrooms; they can be replaced with oyster mushrooms.

Ingredients for “Thai Tom Kha Soup with Chicken”:

• Chicken thigh - 2 pcs.
• Water – 400 ml
• Lemon grass (lemongrass) – 2 pcs.
• Lime zest (and juice) - 1 pc.
• Tomato – 2 pcs.
• Lime (Kaffir lime leaves) – 4 pcs.
• Roots (galangal, 3-4 cm in size) - 1 pc.
• Chili pepper - 2 pcs.
• Sauce (fish) - 2 tbsp. l.
• Cane sugar (to taste) - 1 tbsp. l.
• Cilantro - 1 bunch.
• Oyster mushrooms – 300 g
• Coconut milk - 250 ml

Number of servings: 2

Nutritional and energy value:

Recipe for “Thai Tom Kha Soup with Chicken”:

To make traditional Thai Tom Kha soup, prepare the necessary set of ingredients: chicken, lemongrass, lime, kaffir lime leaves, galangal root, chili pepper, cane sugar, fish sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, coconut milk, cilantro.

First, remove the meat from the bones, you can immediately cut it into portions or do this after boiling.
Wash the bones and meat well, add water and cook the broth over low heat.
After boiling, do not forget to remove the foam. After 40 minutes, strain the broth, remove the bones, and set aside the meat.

Crush the lemongrass and cut into 4-5 cm segments. Zest the lime and squeeze out the juice. Cut the tomatoes into slices, mushrooms into slices. Cut the chili pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, cut the galangal root into slices.

Pour coconut milk into the prepared broth, add the ingredients that will give the soup an exotic smell: lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal root, chili pepper.
Let the broth come to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes over low heat. After boiling, they can be removed from the broth.

Add the reserved pieces of boiled chicken and mushrooms.
Cook the tomatoes for another 5 minutes. At the end, pour in the fish sauce, add cane sugar to taste, lime zest and juice.

Serve the soup with chopped cilantro and spicy fluffy rice.

Spiced rice according to Jamie Oliver's recipe https://www.povarenok.ru/recipes/show/160939/ is perfect for the traditional Thai Tom Kha soup.

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April 8 gapcalova # (recipe creator)

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lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal root, chili pepper.

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