Tom Kha Hed - Thai Soup

Tom Kha Hed is one of the most popular Thai soups which is characterized by its distinct hot and sour flavors, with fragrant herbs generously used. It is made using mushrooms and vegetables with a coconut milk base.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mushrooms
2 cups of coconut milk
1/3 cup vegetables (chopped cabbage, tomato, grated carrots)
6-7 baby corn, cut in half (optional)
2 Lemon Grass stems, cut into 1 cm parts
3-4 Galangal slices
4 kaffir lime leaves - found in Asian aisle at the grocery store
1 tsp sugar or to taste
1 tsp salt or to taste
2 tblsp lime juice
2 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 cup coriander, chopped fine
3-4 bird chilies or regular green chillies

Serves 2-3

Method:

1. To use lemon grass, cut out the bottom bulb. Cut the upper end the stalk which is mostly green and woody. The remaining can be sliced up. Run these slices through a food processor to chop it fine, or pound it with a pestle & mortar.

2. Clean, wash and cut the mushrooms in half.

3. Heat coconut milk in a saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil, while stirring constantly.

4. Add chillies, galangal, lemon grass, torn kaffir leaves and boil for a minute.

5. Add vegetables, babycorn and mushrooms. Simmer and let cook till all vegetables are soft.

6. Add salt, sugar, lime juice and soy sauce. Adjust salt and lime juice according to taste. Remember lemon grass and coconut should give the maximum taste.

7. Garnish with coriander.

8. Serve Tom Kha Hed hot.

Tips

• You can use ginger instead of galangal but galangal gives it a very distinctive flavor.

• You can add other vegetables like baby corn, grated carrots, tofu to the soup.