Last night, D and I had Thai night. I was happy he agreed because I was dead set on having Tom Kha (but did not want to go all the way north to Titaya’s to get it). Tom Kha Gai  is not a joking matter. If a Thai place has lackluster Tom Kha, I will never again eat there and you better hope you did not recommend it to me. This is hands down my favorite soup to eat and I would eat it everyday if I had my 18-year old body back  (pho, roasted tomato and traditional ramen/udon are close behind). I really hope, and think I rightfully suspect, that Heaven boasts a never-ending bowl of Tom Kha. My homemade Tom Kha, while close, is not quite on par with Titaya’s (FYI best Thai in Austin) – but it is a damn good comparison. The only real difference is that mine is a bit healthier: I use low fat coconut milk and only about three-quarters of a cup of regular fat to save about 400 calories.  This switch does affect the soup slightly – it will not be quite as thick and creamy and will be a tad less sweet, but really – it tastes pretty awesome!

The shopping: there are not a ton of ingredients in this, but some can be hard to track down (if you can buy large quantities and store appropriately for a pantry meal). Whole Foods, Central Market and specialty Thai stores will have the ingredients you need. If possible, try to get your Kaffir Limes either from your own plant or from a Thai store (who will generally have their own tree) because they have better and more potent flavor than store bought ones.  You can buy several extra stocks of lemon grass, cut into three-inch pieces, and store in a freezer bag for months. Do not sub dried lemon grass for fresh, it is far inferior. Coriander is cilantro; ergo coriander root is the root of the cilantro bunch you pick up at the store. I have never found this fresh in a non-Asian market – you can sub ground coriander or coriander seed with fresh cilantro. Additionally, try to find fresh galangal (it is also jarred in some specialty stores); if you cannot, sub ginger.

If you have a well-stocked pantry, this soup is a super quick way to have a delicious, flavorful, health fortifying meal (the ingredients are used in Asian countries to heal the body and stave off illness). The flavors are surprisingly complex. You can use chicken or shrimp, or leave them out altogether if you do not have any on hand.

Note:  I have been making this soup (I also use a smaller portion for sauce) for years. It may not come out right every time, but have patience, eventually you will learn the flavors and how to tweak them. Too sour or spicy: Add a bit of sugar. Too acidic: add some more coconut milk. Too Sweet: add some acid and fish sauce. Many times the outcome of the soup will be the victim of sub-par and commercialized ingredients (which is why if you can find an Asian market, it will be your best bet). All that said, you most likely will never have a terrible outcome and it sure is fun getting it just right!

Tom Kha Gai

Serves Three

One Can Light Coconut Milk, Plus a quarter to a half can Regular Coconut Milk
Two cups Good Chicken Stock (preferably homemade sub boxed if necessary), use more if needed
One teaspoon of brown sugar (or palm sugar), using more as necessary
Five lemongrass stalks, cut into three-inch pieces and brusied slightly (use more if the potency is a bit off)
One white onion, quartered and roughly chopped
Four cloves garlic, crushed
Two pieces coriander root (or good pinch seeds/powder with a decent handful of cilantro)
Five Thai chili peppers – can sub Habaneros (use less according to heat preference)
Two inch chuck of galanga or ginger
Ten Kaffir Lime Leaves
Sriracha, to taste
Pre-cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
Ten Cremini Mushrooms, quartered
Two tablespoons fish sauce
Fresh Lime Juice, to taste

Garnish

Chopped Basil (not traditional, I just needed to use it up)
Chopped Green Onion
Chopped Cilantro

Heat a small bit of oil in a large stock pan, add onions, garlic, peppers, galanga/ginger, lemongrass, sugar, salt, and coriander (root/seed/or powder) and saute until slightly fragrant. Add coconut milk and broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for twenty minutes or so. Strain solids and broth, then return to pan and taste the soup and add ingredients as necessary/desired. I usually add additional lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves (in addition to the amount listed in ingredients) to the soup – this is sometimes not necessary depending on the quality of ingredient, but I always leave it as an option. Feel free to add some onions back into the soup. Add sriracha and allow to cook for about ten minutes, then add mushrooms and some fresh cilantro. After about five minutes, add chopped chicken and lime juice to taste. Laddle into bowls over steamed basmati rice and garnish with freshly chopped basil, cilantro, and green onion. Serve Hot.

Bonus: even better the next day!!