Thai Coconut Soup - Tom Kha Gai !!

Tom Kha Gai or coconut soup is a spicy and sour coconut soup. This is the first thing we order at the Thai restaurant, and it is so easy to put together .This silky, aromatic soup is a complete meal in a bowl.

  Your soup can be made with coconut cream or coconut milk. The consistency is a personal choice; I use both because I like it on the creamy side.

The soup gets spiciness from galangal, often associated with ginger, but they are not the same. When had pressed, you can use ginger, but the soup is not the same. You’ll need about a quarter cup of both galangal and ginger and just a heads up- you don’t need to peel the ginger or the galangal, just thinly slice. There are some who believe ginger doesn’t belong in Tom Kha, but I still like to add both. Up to you.

Kaffir lime leaves are thick, dark green, and shiny. Tear and crush the leaves to smell the distinct aroma before you add them to the soup, and nowadays, dried leaves are also available at markets. If the leaves are hard to find, you can substitute them with the zest of limes ( again, the flavor will be slightly different ). But that is where the fun is. I encourage you to try different options in the family of flavors.

 The hardest part of making this soup is finding the ingredients. You can almost make a meal out of it by serving it over steamed rice noodles or brown and white rice.

 I also add a bunch of vegetables to it to make it wholesome and substantial.

Ingredients

 2 cans coconut milk full fat
 2 cans of  coconut milk low fat 

  1/4 cup galangal root sliced thinly or 5 teaspoon fresh ginger grated 

 2 table spoon finely chopped lemongrass or use lemongrass paste 
4 kaffir lime leaves  or the zest of 2 limes.
1 white medium onion, thinly sliced 
2 cups broccoli florets
2  cups snap peas 

 1 can of baby corn 
 2 cups tofu
3 -4 green thai chili  ( optional )
 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice .

 3-4 tablespoon salt ( adjust to your taste )

I teaspoon dried red chile powder (optional if you like it spicy )

 2 teaspoons coconut or brown sugar or jaggery 

 Cilantro to garnish 

Directions

1. In a large pan, put coconut cream and coconut milk on medium heat on the stove.

2.  Add the kaffir lime leaves ( crush them in your hands first), galangal, onion, broccoli florets, snap peas, tofu, and then bring to a boil on medium-low heat.

 3. Add the Thai chilis, Season with salt, stir together, and then cook for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat.

 4. Remove the pot from the stove, then stir in the lime juice. Taste it to see if you prefer more salt and add as needed. It should taste creamy, salty, and a little sour. Garnish it with fresh cilantro, serve it warm.  ENJOY!!