What is Tom Kha Gai?

Tom Kha Gai, literally "cooked Galangal chicken", is a popular Thai soup known for its intense taste Galangal and a rich creamy broth filled with coconut. Galangal is a fibrous rhizome with reddish -brown or pink color related to ginger, but with a different taste. It was described as "creeping", "pepper" and "floral". Other standard ingredients in the KHA Gai are lemon grass, garlic, chili peppers, kaffir lime leaves, mushrooms and fish sauce.

basic ingredients for the taste of Tom Kha Gai are coconut milk and galangal; Without them it's not Tom Kha Gai. Most often the soup is made of chicken, but many recipes offer an alternative to using fish or shrimp instead of the whole or part of the chicken. Designs for vegetarian versions are also common, with tofu or mixed mushrooms replaced instead of chicken. Chicken broth and lemon grass, leaves of kaffir lime and palm sugar are brougt boiling. Peeled galangal and birds-Chilis, sliced ​​into thick slices, cook together with other aromaTical ingredients. Galangal and Chilis are cut into robust pieces because they are not intended to consume just to add their taste to the soup and make their large size easier.

canned coconut milk and fish sauce are added as soon as the soup has boiled. For a richer taste, the whole or part of coconut milk can be replaced by canned coconut cream. Instead of a part of coconut milk, fresh coconut fluid, called coconut juice, can also be used, giving an intense fresh coconut taste - but the soup is still needed, so coconut milk or cream is still needed.

cubic, sliced ​​or crushed boned chefs in a flavored broth and absorbing galangal taste. Mushrooms are added with chicken. If the mushrooms take the chicken, the soup becomes Tom Kha Hed, "Cooked Galangal mushrooms." For vegetarian versions will replace vegetable brothAnd soy sauce on the site of chicken broth and fish sauce.

Often other flavors such as onions or shallots, garlic, coriander root or leaves, sliced ​​tomatoes and baked chili paste are included. Dill is commonly used in Laos and Thailand bordering Laos. Sometimes the soup is served decorated with coriander leaves, sliced ​​tomatoes or other colored objects. Tom Kha Gai is usually served with rice as food or in itself as a snack.