Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken

• 1/2 liter chicken stock

• 400 ml coconut milk

• 200 g oyster mushrooms

• ½ onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 4 slices of galangal

• 2 stalks of lemongrass

• A generous handful of cilantro

• 3–4 Kaffir lime leaves

• 1 lime

• 3 chilies

Preparation:

Prepare the ingredients and set aside:

• Lightly crush the garlic cloves and peel them

• Lightly crush the chilies

• Dice the onion

• Trim the hard tips of the lemongrass, crush the stalks, and cut them into pieces about 2 cm long

• Slice the galangal

• Chop the cilantro

• Tear the large oyster mushrooms into smaller pieces; leave the small ones whole

• Remove the central vein from the Kaffir lime leaves

• Cut the chicken into your preferred size (I like slightly larger chunks)

Cooking:

1. In a pot, bring the chicken stock and coconut milk to a boil.

2. Once boiling, add the garlic, chilis, galangal, lemongrass, and Kaffir lime leaves. Let it boil for a minute until the herbs release their aroma.

3. Add the chicken, onion, salt, and sugar. Stir well and cover.

4. When the chicken is cooked through, add the oyster mushrooms. Stir again and let it cook for another 3 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat, add the fish sauce and lime juice, and stir well.