Coconut Lemongrass Chicken Soup (My Take on Tom Kha)

Although tom yam is my favorite Thai soup, Tom Kha comes close in second place and I do really love this dish. Since my family can’t handle the spiciness of tom yam, we always prefer to order tom kha instead of tom yam, and yes, everybody loves this soup.

One of the main ingredients for this dish is coconut milk. I’ve tried making tom kha several times, and in my opinion, using freshly pressed coconut milk is the best option. Yes, you can use packaged coconut milk or cream, but it will not taste as fresh as the freshly pressed one. I bought the coconut milk in wet market and it’s quite cheap. The seller will give the thick one (cream) and the runny/not so thick one which he always refers as coconut milk water. 

For the chicken, always use chicken tights instead of chicken breasts because they’re juicier. This is my version of tom kha, and I stir fry the herbs and spices first to elevate the flavor. It was really delicious and eating this with steamed rice is a must. 

Ingredients:

1. 300 gr chicken tight fillet (boneless and skinless), cut into long strips
2. 1 can of Champignon mushrooms, sliced
3. 200 gr oyster mushrooms, shredded
4. 3 tbsp cooking oil

5. Freshly pressed coconut milk (250 gr thick and 1200 gr runny)

6. 400 ml of water or homemade chicken stock

Herbs and spices:

1. 8 shallots, finely minced
2. 6 garlic, finely minced
3. 5 slices of galangal
4. 5 slices of ginger
5. 3 lemongrass, crashed with knife handle
6. 5 red chili, sliced or whole to reduce the spiciness
7. 8 kaffir lime leaves, shredded

Seasonings:

1. 3 tbsp fish sauce
2. 1 tbsp coconut sugar
3. Salt, to taste
4. 1/4 tsp ground white pepper, or to taste
5. 1 small block of chicken bouillon (optional)

Other:

1. 2 tbsp fried shallot
2. A handful of cilantro
3. 10 Cherry tomatoes, halves
4. freshly squeezed lime juice

Method:

1. In a large pot, bring to a boil freshly pressed coconut milk (this process is a must if you’re using fresh coconut milk) with 1 tsp of salt in medium heat. Stir so the milk doesn’t break apart. Turn off the heat
2. Heat a wok with cooking oil, then add shallots and garlic and stir fry until aromatic, then add galangal, ginger, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Continue to stir until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Turn off the heat. Transfer the mixture to the pot with coconut milk, then add water, then bring to a boil in low heat while stirring occasionally
3. Add all chicken, mushrooms, and all seasonings, cook until the chicken is soft. Turn off the heat, then add fried shallots and tomatoes. Stir to mix
4. Divide into serving bowl, then add cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice
5. Serve with steamed rice