August 28, 2021, 12:08 pm | Read time: 2 minutes

In this dish, the name says it all: Tom means “cooked” in Thai, Kha is the name for galangal, an ingredient that gives the soup its typical Thai flavor, and Gai means chicken. The specialty can also be prepared with seafood or tofu.

Also interesting: Thai glass noodle salad–easy to make yourself!

Does Galangal Really Need to Be in Tom Kha Gai?

Most people don’t cook regularly with galangal. The Asian root is often confused with ginger here. However, in Tom Kha Gai, galangal is an important component and gives the dish its distinctive taste. If you don’t have an Asian supermarket nearby, you can use ginger for a version of the soup called Tom Khing Kai in Thailand.

While Tom Kha Gai is mainly known as a soup in Europe, the dish is often eaten as a main course in Asia, served with rice. Anyone who has been to Thailand knows that the dishes there are often much spicier than the versions we know in Europe. To make the Thai specialty a bit spicier, you can add chilies or chili oil.

Recipe for Tom Kha Gai from Thailand

Ingredients (for 2 people):

• 200 g chicken breast
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 4 lime leaves
• 1 root galangal
• 350 ml coconut milk
• 1 lime
• 100 g mushrooms, such as button mushrooms
• 70 ml fish sauce
• 1 green onion
• 350 ml chicken broth
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 chili

Preparation

1. Dice the chicken breast, cut the lemongrass into thick slices. Slice the galangal and green onion thinly.
2. Halve the lime leaves. Pluck the cilantro and chop the stems. Clean the mushrooms and halve if necessary.
3. Warm the chicken broth. Add vegetables and chili to the lightly boiling chicken broth and cook for six minutes. Then add chicken breast, fish sauce, and sugar and cook for six minutes. Add coconut milk and mushrooms. Cook again for six minutes over medium heat.
4. Add some lime juice and garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serve and enjoy Tom Kha Gai!