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I think I found a new favorite soup-recipe-that-I-can-make-at-home
I've had tom kha at restaurants before and it was delicious, but I had feared that it would be overly complicated to actually make it well.
Despite this suspicion, I searched around for a recipe last weekend and gave it a try with a few modifications since certain ingredients were not available at the nearby grocery store. I discovered to my immense satisfaction that my prior impression was incorrect; it was not, it turns out, too complicated for me to make it well enough for it to become my new favorite soup to make.
I can't remember the original sites that I found the recipe on, but if you Google for tom kha you'll find several options. This is the one that I cobbled together from the pieces of the top few that I looked at.
It has a bunch of substitutions (ginger for galangal, lemon juice for lemon grass, lime juice for keffir lime leaves) go search online if you want an "official" recipe; this is a quick and dirty and convenient-from-just-about-any-supermarket version; I can get everything on this list from the nearby Safeway, though I'm not sure that the dried little peppers I got were actually Thai chilies. Regardless, they work juuuust fine ^_^
Note that pretty much all of these are rough estimates and can be tweaked; as long as you get about that much of each of them all into the pot at some point it will probably do a pretty tasty impression of tom kha* ^_^
If at any point you make a mistake, refer to footnote **
1 can coconut milk
about 2 cm of 3/4" diameter ginger root cut into slices
2-ish tbsp lemon juice
3-ish tbsp lime juice
2-ish tbsp fish sauce
1-ish tbsp sugar
2-7 small mild/medium Thai chilies seeded and sliced (I use two to give it just a little kick. More == spicier. I plan on trying crushed red peppers next time, but don't know how well they work yet)
Mushrooms to taste (a small can of straw mushrooms works, but I like enokitake better if you can get them)
1 pkg extra firm tofu cut into bite-sized pieces OR 1/2 to 1 chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces OR a handful of shrimp
2 cans of vegetable or chicken broth
1) In medium pot, bring stock to boil
2a) Add ginger, lemon juice, sugar, and about 1 tbsp lime juice
2b) Simmer for 5 minutes
3a) Add coconut milk, chilies, and fish sauce
3b) Simmer for 5 minutes
4a) Add mushrooms and tofu/chicken/shrimp
4b) Simmer until chicken or shrimp is done (probably about 3-5 minutes, but it's good to make sure)
5) Remove from heat
6) Add about 2 tbsp lime juice and adjust salt (fish sauce) and spiciness (peppers) as desired
7) Serve straight or over rice or pasta
* For all you exceedingly precise types out there, just ignore the 'ish' suffix and the word 'about' and use exactly the amounts indicated.
** It's hard to screw this one up too badly. Keep going and see how it comes out--and keep notes; you may have discovered an even tastier version!
Despite this suspicion, I searched around for a recipe last weekend and gave it a try with a few modifications since certain ingredients were not available at the nearby grocery store. I discovered to my immense satisfaction that my prior impression was incorrect; it was not, it turns out, too complicated for me to make it well enough for it to become my new favorite soup to make.
I can't remember the original sites that I found the recipe on, but if you Google for tom kha you'll find several options. This is the one that I cobbled together from the pieces of the top few that I looked at.
It has a bunch of substitutions (ginger for galangal, lemon juice for lemon grass, lime juice for keffir lime leaves) go search online if you want an "official" recipe; this is a quick and dirty and convenient-from-just-about-any-supermarket version; I can get everything on this list from the nearby Safeway, though I'm not sure that the dried little peppers I got were actually Thai chilies. Regardless, they work juuuust fine ^_^
Note that pretty much all of these are rough estimates and can be tweaked; as long as you get about that much of each of them all into the pot at some point it will probably do a pretty tasty impression of tom kha* ^_^
If at any point you make a mistake, refer to footnote **
Quick 'n Easy Tom Kha
1 can coconut milk
about 2 cm of 3/4" diameter ginger root cut into slices
2-ish tbsp lemon juice
3-ish tbsp lime juice
2-ish tbsp fish sauce
1-ish tbsp sugar
2-7 small mild/medium Thai chilies seeded and sliced (I use two to give it just a little kick. More == spicier. I plan on trying crushed red peppers next time, but don't know how well they work yet)
Mushrooms to taste (a small can of straw mushrooms works, but I like enokitake better if you can get them)
1 pkg extra firm tofu cut into bite-sized pieces OR 1/2 to 1 chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces OR a handful of shrimp
2 cans of vegetable or chicken broth
1) In medium pot, bring stock to boil
2a) Add ginger, lemon juice, sugar, and about 1 tbsp lime juice
2b) Simmer for 5 minutes
3a) Add coconut milk, chilies, and fish sauce
3b) Simmer for 5 minutes
4a) Add mushrooms and tofu/chicken/shrimp
4b) Simmer until chicken or shrimp is done (probably about 3-5 minutes, but it's good to make sure)
5) Remove from heat
6) Add about 2 tbsp lime juice and adjust salt (fish sauce) and spiciness (peppers) as desired
7) Serve straight or over rice or pasta
* For all you exceedingly precise types out there, just ignore the 'ish' suffix and the word 'about' and use exactly the amounts indicated.
** It's hard to screw this one up too badly. Keep going and see how it comes out--and keep notes; you may have discovered an even tastier version!
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I used the leftover half can of straw mushrooms from the first batch in the portion that came home from Baltimore with me this weekend.. NUMMY!
One relevant question: when dealing with a food that is normally slimy, how should one monitor for the first signs of spoilage? Specifically, the recipe as written calls for 1/2 can of straw mushrooms. And the darn things are slick. How does one tell if the remainder is still useable, or if it should be tossed?
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