Thai · Lunch or dinner

Tom Kha Gai

Name: Tom Kha Gai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced thin; 2 cans full-fat coconut milk; 2 cups chicken stock; 2 lemongrass stalk, smashed, cut into 2-inch pieces; 8 slices galangal (or ginger), 1/4-inch coins; 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn; 2 medium shallot, smashed; 6 oz oyster or straw mushrooms, halved if large; 2 thai bird chiles, smashed; 2½ tbsp fish sauce; 1 tsp palm sugar; 3 tbsp fresh lime juice; ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Coconut, galangal, lemongrass, chicken and lime.

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Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings
Skill: Beginner
Heat: Mild, adjustable

Halal Contains tree nuts Contains fish

Maui says

Tom kha is one of those rare Thai dishes where coconut and lime and chile all stay light - the trick is a gentle simmer (no rolling boil) so the coconut milk stays silky and the aromatics infuse instead of going bitter.

Ingredients

Everything below makes 4 servings.

1 lbboneless skinless chicken thighssliced thin
2 cansfull-fat coconut milk
2 cupschicken stock
2lemongrass stalksmashed, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 slicesgalangal (or ginger)1/4-inch coins
5kaffir lime leavestorn
2 mediumshallotsmashed
6 ozoyster or straw mushroomshalved if large
2thai bird chilessmashed
2½ tbspfish sauce
1 tsppalm sugar
3 tbspfresh lime juice
¼ cupfresh cilantrochopped

In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.

Nutrition

Per serving, as written.

380calories
28gprotein
14gcarbs
24gfat

Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.

Instructions

Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.

Before you start

Slice chicken thin.
Smash and cut lemongrass; slice galangal into coins.
Tear kaffir lime leaves. Smash shallots and chiles. Halve mushrooms. Juice limes. Chop cilantro.

Aromatic infusion

Combine coconut milk and chicken stock and lemongrass and galangal and kaffir lime leaves and shallots and chiles in the pot. Bring to gentle simmer; cook 10 min, covered, on low. Don't let it boil hard - coconut milk separates.

10 min · hands off

Add chicken and mushrooms

Add chicken, mushrooms, palm sugar, and the second can of coconut milk. Simmer gently 6-8 min until chicken is cooked through.

8 min · hands off

Finish off heat

Off heat, stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Taste - should be creamy, citrusy, gently spicy, slightly sweet. Adjust fish sauce and lime. Ladle into bowls; top with cilantro. Leave aromatics in the pot or fish them out - they're not meant to be eaten.

1 min · hands on

Make it yours

Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.

Instead of chicken thighs Shrimp

Use vegetable or fish stock for the broth; add shrimp in the last 3 min. Saves about 3 minutes.

Instead of chicken thighs Extra-firm tofu

Press 10 min, cube, add with mushrooms. Saves about 2 minutes.

Instead of jasmine rice Jasmine rice

Cook rice separately; ladle soup over. Adds about 25 minutes.

Vegan Extra-firm tofu for boneless skinless chicken thighs, vegan fish sauce for fish sauce, vegetable broth for chicken stock

Cube before adding. Or use 1 tbsp soy sauce plus 1 tsp white miso.

What keeps

Holds 4 days; lime juice should be added fresh per serving so it stays bright.

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