Tom kha kai


Tom kha kai, tom kha gai, or Thai coconut soup is a spicy and sour hot soup with coconut milk in Thai cuisine.

Ingredients

In Thailand, most tom kha kai recipes typically include coconut milk, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai chili, coriander, straw mushrooms, chicken, fish sauce, and lime juice. Fried chilies are sometimes added.

Variations

In a Thai-style tom kha kai, dill weed is not used, whereas in a Lao-style tom kha kai, dill weed is used. Dill weed is a common herb which is used in Lao cuisine. The Thais' answer to dill weed in Thai tom kha is coriander or cilantro.
There are other versions of tom kha kai made with seafood, mushrooms, pork and tofu.
In the late 19th century, tom kha was not a soup. It was a dish of chicken or duck simmered in a light coconut broth with a generous amount of galangal. It was then served with a basic roasted chili jam as a dipping relish.

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