Tom Kha Gai

Chicken Coconut Soup

A rich, aromatic dinner soup, which is enjoyed throughout the meal. Whenever possible, fresh kaffir lime leave should be used, and their flavor and aroma is increased when they are torm insted of cut with a knife. Young galangal (Kha orn) is pale yellow, with firm unwrinkled pink shoot. Fresh young ginger can be substituted if necessary, but the flavor will not be quite the same

Recipe:

2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) coconut milk
6 thin slices young aglangal (kha orn)
2 stalks lemon grass/citronella (ta-krai), lower 1/3 portion onlym, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) lemghts and cruhed
5 fresh kaffir lime leave (bai ma -grood), torn in half
8 oz (250 g) boned chicken breast, sliced
5 tablespoons (2 1/2 fl oz/75 ml) fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) lime juice
1 teaspoon black chili paste (nam prik pow)
1/4 cup cilantro/coriander leave (bai pak chee), torn
5 green Thai chili peppers (prik khee noo), crushed

How to cook:

1. Combine half the coconut milk with the galangal, lemon grass and lime leave in a large saucepan and heat to boiling. Add the chlicken, fish sauce and sugar.

2. Simmer for about 4 minutes, or until the chlicken is cooked. Add the remaining coconut milk to the saucepan and heat just to boiling.

3. Place the lime juice and chili paste in a serving bowl then pour the soup into the serving bowl.

4. Garnish with the torn cilantro leaves and crushed chili pepper, and serve.