Tom Kha Gai

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Coconut Galangal Soup)

A fragrant Thai coconut chicken soup built on galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime, balanced between salty fish sauce and bright lime juice. It should taste silky, aromatic and gently sour — never harsh.

Prep

10 min

Cook

25 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless chicken thighs, skinless, traditionally the dark meat
• •400 ml (1¾ cups) full-fat coconut milk, shake the can well; do not substitute 'lite'
• •500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock or water, low-sodium if using stock
• •40 g (3 Tbsp thinly sliced) fresh galangal, do not substitute ginger — flavor changes completely
• •2 stalks fresh lemongrass, smash and tie in a knot so fibers stay out of the bowl
• •6 leaves kaffir lime leaves, torn to release oils; frozen leaves are fine
• •5 slices fresh Thai bird's eye chilies, optional, for heat; keep whole for less heat
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh oyster mushrooms or straw mushrooms, left whole or torn into bite-size pieces
• •30 ml (2 Tbsp) fish sauce, Thai brand such as Tiparos or Nam Pla if possible
• •200 g (½-inch cubes) firm ripe tomato, 1 medium tomato, optional but traditional
• •45 ml (3 Tbsp) fresh lime juice, add to taste at the end, off the heat
• •1 Tbsp palm sugar, or brown sugar; balances the sour and salt
• •1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
• •1 handful fresh Thai basil leaves, for garnish, optional

Steps

1. 1 Prepare the aromatics: slice the galangal into thin coins (no need to peel young galangal), smash the lemongrass stalks with the side of a knife and tie each into a loose knot, tear the kaffir lime leaves, and crush the chilies slightly. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces (about 3 cm / 1¼ inches).
2. 2 In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring the chicken stock and 200 ml (about ¾ cup) of the coconut milk to a gentle simmer. Add the galangal, lemongrass knots, kaffir lime leaves and chilies. Simmer 6–8 minutes to infuse the broth.
3. 3 Add the chicken and simmer 5 minutes, until just cooked through — the pieces should be opaque all the way with no pink centers (internal temperature 74 °C / 165 °F). Skim any foam that rises.
4. 4 Add the mushrooms and tomato and simmer 2 minutes more. Stir in the palm sugar until dissolved.
5. 5 Pour in the remaining coconut milk (about 200 ml / ¾ cup) to enrich and whiten the soup. Heat through — do not let it boil hard, or the coconut milk can split. Season with the fish sauce, starting at 2 tablespoons and adding more to taste.
6. 6 Remove the pot from the heat. Squeeze in the lime juice gradually, tasting as you go; you want a clear sour note but not sharp. Adjust salt with more fish sauce or sugar as needed.
7. 7 Ladle into bowls, fish out the lemongrass knots and large galangal slices if you wish, and top each bowl with cilantro and Thai basil. Serve hot on its own or with jasmine rice.
8. 8 Safety and doneness notes: cook chicken to 74 °C / 165 °F internal temperature (no pink in the center). Do not boil hard after the coconut milk is added — a hard boil can curdle the milk. Always add lime juice off the heat so the flavor stays bright and the coconut milk does not break.