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Tom Kha Gai

Name: Tom Kha Gai
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 3
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 300g Chicken Thigh; 400ml Coconut milk; 30g Galangal (or ginger); 1 Lemongrass; 4 Kaffir lime leaves; 100g Mushrooms; 2 tbsp Fish sauce; 2 tbsp Lime juice; 2 Chili (optional)

Soup

⏱ 30 min

👥 Serves 3

Difficulty ⭐⭐

A fragrant soup of coconut milk and galangal — a popular Thai soup balancing heat and creaminess.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Tom kha gai rivals tom yum goong as Thailand's signature soup; its name means 'galangal chicken soup.' Combining coconut milk with Thai cooking's three essential aromatics — galangal, lemongrass, and makrut lime leaves — gives it a mellow, creamy flavor in contrast to the sharp sourness and heat of tom yum. Balanced in heat, sourness, and sweetness, it's a popular introduction to Thai food.

🌆 Where it's eaten: At a Bangkok eatery, diners drawn by the scent of lemongrass and coconut drifting in the steam order it for lunch.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 3)

Chicken Thigh 300g
Coconut milk 400ml
Galangal (or ginger) 30g
Lemongrass 1
Kaffir lime leaves 4
Mushrooms 100g
Fish sauce 2 tbsp
Lime juice 2 tbsp
Chili (optional) 2

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Slice the galangal thinly; bruise the lemongrass and cut diagonally.
Put the coconut milk and water in a pot, add the galangal, lemongrass, and makrut lime leaves, and bring to a boil.
Once fragrant, add the chicken and simmer until cooked.
Add the mushrooms, simmer further, and season with fish sauce.
Turn off the heat, add lime juice, and scatter with chili if you like.

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