Cookbook:Tom Kha Kai

Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Thai Cuisine

Tom Kha Kai
Category	Thai recipes
Servings	5
Time	½ hour
Difficulty

Tom kha kai (or tom kha gai) is a Thai soup with the distinct, very Thai flavor of galangal, a rhizome somewhat similar to ginger. Kha means "galangal" in Thai. This version of the soup is made with chicken (kai or gai).

Variation I

Ingredients

For 5 servings:

• 2½ cups (600 ml) coconut milk
• 3¼ cups (775 ml) chicken stock
• 4 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces or split lengthwise
• 2 x 1-inch (5 x 2.5 cm) cube galangal, sliced thin
• 3–4 mini chilies, finely chopped
• 400 g chicken, cubed
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 tomato, quartered and peeled
• 1 cup (150 g) mushrooms, sliced
• 1½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 Tablespoons cilantro

Procedure

1. Bring stock and coconut milk to a boil.
2. Add lemongrass, galangal, chilies, sugar and pepper.
3. Add onion, tomato, chicken bits, and mushrooms.
4. Keep at a rolling boil for 4 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the heat.
6. Stir in lime juice and soy sauce.
7. Garnish with cilantro and chilies.

Variation II – One bowl

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup (80 ml) coconut milk
• ⅔ cups (160 ml) chicken stock
• ½ stalk lemongrass (cut into 1" bits)
• 3 thin slices galangal (or ginger, but see above note)
• 1 mini chili, finely chopped
• 6 cubes chicken
• ¼ onion
• ⅓ tomato, halved and peeled
• 1 mushroom, cut into 6 pieces
• ¼ tsp sugar
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• dash lime juice
• dash soy sauce

Notes, tips, and variations

• You can substitute ginger, as galangal and ginger are similar, but the flavors are different.

Warnings

• Always wash your hands with soap immediately after you are done cutting chili peppers.