Tom Kha Gai Recipe (วิธีทำ ต้มข่าไก่) – Authentic Thai Style

Along with tom yum goong, tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is one of the most famous Thai dishes.
In Thailand, tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is eaten more like a curry instead of a soup, paired with a plate of rice and spooned onto your rice before eating it.
In this blog post I’m going to share with you a step by step tom kha gai recipe, the way you will find it in Thailand.

Some of the ingredients you’ll need
The ingredients for this tom kha gai recipe (ต้มข่าไก่) are quite simple, but it’s the method of preparation, especially for the coconut milk that is the important part.
The ingredients you’ll need are widely available at any local market throughout Thailand, but I also noticed that you can get all the ingredients are Asian supermarkets throughout the US and Europe, and even some of the ingredients like coconut milk and kaffir limes leaves are available online.
If you love coconut milk, you’ll love tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่).

Galangal is a rhizome
Galangal (kha ข่า) is one of the most important ingredients in any tom kha gai recipe (ต้มข่าไก่). The kha in the name of the dish in Thai, actually means galangal – so it’s very important, and there’s really no substitute for the galangal.
It has an earthy spice flavor, and many people compare the taste to ginger, however it’s actually quite different in taste and feel. Galangal is included in many Thai curries and soups, and when used in small quantities, it provides a subtle kick of flavor.
When you cook with galangal, you don’t normally eat the actual pieces of galangal, but instead it’s boiled in the soup to releases its wonderful essence of flavor, and then you either throw it away before eating, or leave it on the bottom of the bowl of soup.

If you can get fresh coconut milk, that’s the best for this recipe
Coconut milk (น้ำกะทิ)
The base of any tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is coconut milk (น้ำกะทิ kati), and you couldn’t make this amazing Thai soup without it.
Since I made this recipe in Thailand, I was able to use freshly squeezed coconut milk. If you have an opportunity to use fresh coconut milk, the flavor will be by far the best.
However, if you can only get cans or boxes of coconut milk, this recipe will still work well. My preferred coconut milk is Aroy-d in the box, not the can. I’ve found it to have the best flavor and be the most similar to fresh coconut milk.

Kaffir lime leaves
Another key ingredient for making this tom kha gai recipe are kaffir lime leaves (bai makrut ใบมะกรูด).
Similar to galangal, you don’t actually eat the kaffir lime leaves, but you boil them in the soup and they release their wonderful citrusy zest of flavor.

Thai chilies
Like nearly all Thai soups and curries, this dish contains Thai red bird chilies. You can really use as many as you like for this recipe, but I would suggest about 5 – 10, or however many you like.
Tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is not like southern Thai gaeng som, which is supposed to be extremely spicy. Instead it’s typically a very mild dish in Thailand.

I prefer oyster mushrooms in tom kha gai
Tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is almost always made with chicken, sometimes bone in or boneless (I’m going to be using boneless chicken for this recipe), and often mushrooms are another main component.
I like to use oyster mushrooms (hed fang เห็ดฟาง) because they are nice and meaty and soak up so much of the delicious flavor from the coconut milk, but you can use whatever mushrooms you can get you hands on.

Fresh limes
Finally, to give your tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) a sour component, lime juice (manao มะนาว) is the beautiful final fresh touch to this recipe.
Little Thai limes or key limes are typical for this tom kha gai.

How to cook using coconut milk
Stirring coconut milk
One thing I’ve learned while living in Thailand and cooking Thai food is that coconut milk is a very delicate ingredient (especially fresh coconut milk).
Whenever you make a recipe that makes use of coconut milk, you need to stir it gently, and keep stirring it in the same directional flow (I’ve explained why better in the video).
If you stir coconut milk too fast and rough it will sort of start to clump or curdle, similar to the way cream or milk does when you boil it. So just remember to treat your coconut milk gently and stir it slowly and steadily without boiling it too hard.
Here’s the video recipe:
(If you can’t see the video, watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmfstZEB0F8)
Thai tom kha gai recipe (วิธีทำ ต้มข่าไก่)
Time: About 30 minutes all together
Recipe size: Serves 3 – 4 people, about 2 big sized bowls full
Cooking utensils: medium sized saucepan
Flavors: Creamy and rich
Eat it with: A plate of rice and a few other Thai dishes as well

- 400 grams (I used 2 chicken breasts)
- 6 cups coconut milk (If you use a can or box of coconut milk, you might want to add some water to make it less thick)
- 1 thumb chunk of galangal
- 3 stalks of lemongrass
- 1 big white onion (or 2 small white onions)
- 2 tomatoes
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- 200 grams of oyster mushrooms (I used 2 big handfuls)
- 5 - 10 Thai chilies
- ½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 4 tablespoons of lime juice
- small bunch of cilantro
- First take a thumb sized chunk of galangal, cut off the stems, and cut the root part into thin slices. It can be a little tough, so you might have to hit the top of your knife with your palm.
- Next grab your lemongrass, slice off the bottoms, pull off the outer skin layer, and then slice it diagonally into about 1 inch strips. This is just going to help release its amazing fragrance.
- Turn on your stove to medium heat, and add about 3 cups (or ½) of the coconut milk to a medium sized saucepan. Put the pot on the heat and immediately toss in the sliced galangal and lemongrass.
- As your coconut milk begins to heat, move back over to your cutting board and slice up the chicken. I used 2 chicken breasts for this recipe. Slice the chicken into medium sized chunks - they can be kind of big in size.
- Just before the coconut milk comes to a boil, add the chicken, and then add the other remaining 3 cups of coconut milk. Now, turn down the heat to a medium low, as you don’t want the coconut milk to heat too fast or burn.
- Prepare your Thai chilies by peeling off the stems and then just slice them diagonally. Go ahead and add them directly to the soup.
- Give the soup a quick stir, and then add about 200 grams of oyster mushrooms (it was about 2 handfuls for me).
- Your coconut milk should not boil, but just maintain a nice low heat. Because coconut milk is so delicate, when you stir, be sure to move your spoon in 1 direction only, otherwise you run the risk of the coconut milk getting too shaken and it will start to curdle. Be gentle with the coconut milk.
- Move back over to your cutting board and peel and slice 2 small white onions into thick wedges (if your onion is really big, just use 1). Immediately toss the onions into the soup.
- Next, cut your tomatoes in the same way as your onions, into thick wedges. Wait until your tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is just about to boil, and then add the tomatoes.
- Take the kaffir lime leaves, break them with your hand, and toss them directly into the soup. Breaking the kaffir lime leaves is going to release their flavor.
- Now add about ½ teaspoon of salt to begin with (taste to add more)
- Mix your tom kha gai slowly and gently, for about 5 - 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t come to a full boil - and if it does - turn down the heat to even lower. You want the chicken, onions, tomatoes, and other ingredients to be fully cooked, but you don’t want to overcook the coconut milk.
- After about 5 - 10 minutes of cooking, go ahead and turn off the heat completely.
- Go back to your cutting board, slice up a handful of fresh cilantro, and add it to the soup. Give it a quick stir, and the cilantro will cook enough from the already hot soup.
- The final step is to juice a couple of limes into a separate bowl and then add about 4 tablespoons of lime juice to the tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่). Again, just give it a quick and gentle stir, and it’s ready to be served.
- Make sure you do some taste-testing to make sure it’s salty and sour enough. You may need to add a little extra salt or lime juice to get the flavor you want.
Full recipe here, and watch the video recipe here.
- Delicious Thai tom kha gai!
- Eat your tom kha gai with fresh steamed rice
Tom kha gai is such a simple yet marvelous tasting Thai dish, and it’s sure to be a favorite when you make this recipe and serve it to friends and family.
Dish yourself out a plate of freshly steamed rice, and then take spoons of tom kha gai, combine it to your rice, and enjoy.
Sudip Chakraborty
2 years ago
I tried today and it was amazing. Really like all your recipes and have also made my own red curry paste using mortar and pestle.
graham edwards
2 years ago
Beautiful recipe 😋 been making it for a long time
Magnus L.
2 years ago
How do you print the recipe?
Jay from TeaLifeHK
2 years ago
Dude so good. AROY! Good tip on keeping heat low for coconut milk. I used fish sauce instead of salt since I’m not scared of a little fishiness 555. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Emma
2 years ago
Tried this recipe for the first time tonight, Tom Kha is one of my favorite Thai dishes and I wanted to try to make my own! I followed some of the suggestions by other commenters with great success! This base recipe is excellent. I halved the coconut milk (only two people eating, will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow). Thus, I halved the lemongrass and galangal root – however I used ~8 leaves of kaffir because that is one of my favorite flavors. I forgot to buy red chiles so I used red pepper flakes instead (will remember to get chiles next time but the pepper flakes were a great sub). I used tofu instead of chicken and sautéed it with a coating of corn starch to imitate fried ones like Thai restaurants. I used some cool mushrooms from a local Asian market and also bought canned straw mushrooms to try for next time – I love mushrooms!!! I added ~ 1 tablespoon of equal parts fish sauce and sugar. 100% will make again – likely next week as I bought about 3 meals worth of the special Asian ingredients which are now in my freezer awaiting to be cooked! Thanks for the excellent base recipe. Loved the tips to not boil the coconut milk, to tear the kaffir leaves, and timing for everything else.
Uli
2 years ago
I noticed you don‘t use sugar and fish sauce, as in most other receipts I know. Is there a specific reason for that?
Belle
2 years ago
I love Thai food and have looked for this recipe for years. Thank you, I can’t wait to try it!
Greg
2 years ago
I’ve been cooking Tom Kha for a while although slightly differently. I also add a little ginger and at the end flavor the broth with fish sauce and brown sugar. I usually cook the main broth (chicken broth, coconut cream, galangal, ginger, lemon grass and lime leaves) the day before and let it soak overnight. Never added onion but adding other stuff you like is fine. It’s a great soup and gets better after a few days!
Ruby Bastion
3 years ago
I wish i’d seen these method of cooking Thai Tom Kha first. I did it in the pressure cooker. Going to have another go & follow this method. Thank you
John
3 years ago
Very delicious and authentic flavors
F
3 years ago
Saved it in my recipe book. Thanks!
Kim
3 years ago
I made this today! It tasted delicious and authentic. Added to my list of foods to cook again.
Shelby
3 years ago
This is the second time I’ve made this soup and I LOVE it! The only changes I’ve made are that I add a LOT less onion as even one whole large onion ends up being way too much and I add a little more lime juice because I love the flavor. I think next time I’m going to cut the lemongrass into larger pieces and simmer a little longer before adding the chicken so the soup is easier to eat but still retains the flavor. Other than those small adjustments to suit my taste, this recipe is absolutely amazing!
Priscilla
3 years ago
WOW!!! tried it for the first time today!! SO amazing!! THANK YOU!
Kipsy Larkey
3 years ago
so i moved to a city that doesn’t have ant thai restaurants. I’ve been looking for a traditional tom kha gai recipe and I’m going to try yours, but one quick question… how come you don’t use fish sauce. most recipes I have read have it in it. Still going to try yours, but just wondering.
Lauren Knudson
3 years ago
Made this for the first time today and it was absolutely fantastic! I did make a slight alteration and added about 1/4 cup of sugar which we found made it almost identical to what we get at our favorite Thai restaurant. (Probably a sin but it was delicious). The one issue we had was the extreme amount of fibrous lemongrass we had to pull out of it while eating. We’re gonna experiment with simmering the broth with the lemongrass and galangal, perhaps allowing it to sit overnight, and then straining it out before continuing with the recipe. May work better for our tastes. We also found that 2/3 canned coconut milk to 1/3 water was about the right ratio for us. Aside from picking out the fibers though it was absolutely fantastic and I will be making it again many times in the future. Thank you for the recipe!
Joel Bruner
3 years ago
Hi Lauren, so happy to read this message! You know what, one of the best things about Thai food is that it is basically made to be adaptable to YOUR tastes, so Im so happy that this is exactly what youre doing :) Have a great day, all the best!
Seb
3 years ago
My mum is Indonesian and in Indo the lemongrass is cut at the hard base and the outer layered is peeled. Then crush the length of the lemongrass with the heel of the knife carefully or with a pestle, roll it over and press again, then tie the lemongrass into a knot. This makes it easy to find and easy to take out :)
Sean
3 years ago
This is my favorite recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it ! I hope you have a wonderful life.
Joel Bruner
3 years ago
Seanbob, your well-wishes are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for the support, glad to hear about your love of Tom Kha Gai!!
Dave O
4 years ago
Followed this recipe & it is perfect! Luck I have a couple of awesome Asian food stores nearby 🙂
Hans Schack
4 years ago
I did follow you way to make it. Makes a big difference not to boil the coconut milk. I also got some hint from my thai girlfriend how they did. This was so authentic to what I am going to explore again in November. I also made a Som Tham Thai. Had rice and homemade Nom Prik Pow. Thanks for all your recipes.
Federico
4 years ago
Delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
Mai
4 years ago
Thank you for your recipe. I’m in Vietnam & enjoy much Thai food
Robert Fontaine
4 years ago
Thank you so much, sir. Just made it for the second time today. Your instructions and video are so clear, you made it so easy. I found everything in a local Asian store except Kaffir lime leaves.
Janet Siegel
4 years ago
I was looking for an authentic Tom Kha Gai recipe, I find this one, thinking, ooo, this looks best, and see its by MARK WIENS!!!!! PERFECTION!!!!!
THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!!!!!
Chris
4 years ago
Hi. This looks so good. A couple questions. You leave the lemon grass and galangal in? Do you eat it? Is it very spicy with the peppers with the seeds in?
Rachel
4 years ago
This was quick and easy to make and it tasted authentic and delicious.
Thanks so much for your clear instructions, Mark.
Jenn
4 years ago
I’m pretty sure this is my first recipe review in 10 years, but I just had to say how delicious this is. Fresh ingredients make all the difference, and it honestly tastes better than most restaurant versions I’ve had. This is my second time making it this month, thanks for sharing!
ella
4 years ago
hi i found several other recipes of tom kha gai that includes ginger in it.
is it necessary?
Mark Wiens
4 years ago
Hey Ella, it should be only galangal – “kha” actually means galangal in the name, so it’s boiled galangal chicken soup. But perhaps if you can’t get galangal you could try a little bit of ginger.
kai etringer
3 years ago
ginger should work but it’ll be a different taste, galangal has a distinctive taste
John Davis
4 years ago
Can’t wait to try it!
Hannah
4 years ago
The Tom Kha Gai recipe was so simple and delicious. The step by step instructions provided good guidance and insight to the method and made me feel comfortable in making this again and recommending this recipe to a friend.
phyllis
5 years ago
I just had this soup in a Thai restaurant and they use oyster sauce. It was delicious! Does that replace another ingredient?
Dila
5 years ago
Hi Mark.. I,’m stumble to your blog when looking for kaeng som recipe. The recipe that you share looks so authentic and delicous. Of course I’m going to try your recipe. Only my suggestion is, can you put share button for Facebook in your blog so i can share this amazing recipe of yours with my friends in Facebook. Thank you.
Josh
5 years ago
I’ve made this several times, with and without modifications. My wife, who is a very picky eater, has given it thumbs up every time. Thanks for your recipes!
Kelly
5 years ago
One of my favorites! What about adding fish sauce?
Julian from Brussels
5 years ago
I cook every day, i love cooking — Tom Kha Gai is one of the dishes that I prepare and eat more often. It is so simple. It is so delicious. I have an Asian supermarket just around the corner, so I get all what it needs anytime. The recipe here is exactly how it is: I add a bit of palm sugar, and instead of salt I use Thai fish sauce.
Nuunoy
5 years ago
Just made this tonight. Great recipe and instructions, HOWEVER, it’s not authentic unless you use fish sauce. Forget salt!! :-/
Sterla
5 years ago
Fantastic recipe! Thanks a million :)
I made it couple of time and each time is great again. I love this!
Agnieszka
5 years ago
Hi
Thank You very much for this recipe. I made it once and really this soup is amazing :) Today I will cook it again. Maybe I will have courage to try yours others recipes, Greetings from Poland
Agnieszka
Elishia
5 years ago
I made this tonight and it was excellent. Guests and kids all loved it. I used mostly coconut milk and added some chicken broth I had made. It was excellent and tasted just like what I remember eating in Thailand. YUM! Thank you for the recipe + super easy video!!!
Ciaran
5 years ago
Having always loved Tom Kha I decided to give this recipe a go. Tom Kha tastes so complex I was worried it would beyond my capability ( I can cook very well).
All I can say I was worried following the recipe that I would be disappointed. How wrong I was. The final soup was amazing. I can’t believe all I had to do was chop and stir and I ended up with something the whole family think is amazing.
Petr
5 years ago
the best Tom Kha I have made so far! just added little bit of fish sauce to it :) thanks for sharing the recipe.
Claudia
5 years ago
Hi Mark, very authentic recipe. A couple of dashes of fish sauce can be added in place of salt. I also added 1 cup thai-asian chicken broth stirred into the coconut milk to give it more flavour. Turned out great!
Azi
5 years ago
This is a great recipe! I was unable to find kaffir lime leaves so I made the soup without them. I added 3 tomatoes and I would recommend about 5. I used both button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. After tasting the soup, as delicious as it was, I found it too strong and creamy therefore I added a carton of chicken broth. It was the best Tom kha I’ve ever had!
Deb
5 years ago
This was my first attempt at making one of my all-time favorite dishes. It was great! Now I know how to make it exactly how I like it! Thank you- you even pushed me to look up an authentic Thai grocery store :)
Janine
6 years ago
this is a nice recipe, but i think adding two tomatoes mellowed out the flavor a bit too much for my taste. i also subbed the salt for fish sauce, which i feel is better suited for the recipe.
Linda
6 years ago
I’m going to make the coconut soup this is the best recipe yet!
Jo Ann
6 years ago
My husband gave me a thumbs up for today’s Tom Kha Gai lunch. I’ll give you two ????????
Thanks for this detailed recipe.
Julia
6 years ago
I made this almost exactly as said, and it turned out awful and nothing like authentic thai restaurants in my area. Most definitely would NOT cut the coconut with water, it needs to be full strength and then some. Made a giant vat of it and throwing it away. Points for a good video, though!
Bill Brasky
6 years ago
That is why it is called cooking. You should be able to eyeball the consistency. The recipe only says that you MIGHT want to add water. You messed up.
Dane
5 years ago
Your thai restaurants are not very authentic then….
Julian from Brussels
5 years ago
in my opinion –I cook myself Tom Kha Gai since YEARS– the recipe here is full authentic. and NO it MUST NOT be to be too creamy… Therefore, mixing some water is definitely how it is.
June
5 years ago
same here..hahah
Keith
6 years ago
Mark, I’v just made your Tom Kha Gai, it is a delight! Creamy, spicy, slightly sour from the lime juice. I made it with king prawns for myself and chicken for my wife as she is shellfish intororant. A big ???? can’t wait to try more
Keith
6 years ago
Sounds great but do you not think it’s better to add a paste and do you know a recipe for Tom ka paste?
Jeff
6 years ago
I have been in search of a recipe that replicates authentic tom Kai. You’ve nailed it! High quality preferably fresh coconut and galangal root are key ingredients in this recipe. The one ingredient I didn’t have fresh were the lime leaves. Had to use the dried ones. I have lemon trees growing on my patio. I wonder if their leaves could be substituted.
Nuunoy
5 years ago
No. Lemon leaves is nowhere near kaffir lime leaves. I was able to use fresh leaves from my tree!.
Frank
5 years ago
No. Or “western” lime leaves.
Susan Slater
6 years ago
Mark. Great recipe. When you say ‘oyster mushrooms’, don’t you mean HET NANG ROM or HET NANG FA? Just wondering.
Lizzie
6 years ago
What a wonderful website – beautifully written recipes. The Tom Kha Gai recipe is fantastic. Can’t wait to try more. Thank you.
Ruth
6 years ago
hola mark, desde hace un tiempo he leído tus recetas y he decidido prepararlas. El problema, es que en mi pais sólo se consiguen ingredientes tailandeses secos como la galanga, las hojas de lima kaffir, para usarlos debo rehidratarlos o simplemente agregar a la preparación?.
Perdón por mi inglés.
Laura
6 years ago
Just made this soup last night and it was absolutely delicious! Rich and creamy and full of flavor! Thank you for adding the detailed instructions-it turned out amazing thanks to you! And now that I feel confident in cooking with coconut milk, I’m going to try my hand at Red Curry!
Joe
6 years ago
Hey Mark. I will be in Bangkok for 2 days next week. Tom Kha Gai is one of my favorite dishes. Where is a great place to get Tom Kha Gai soup in Bangkok? Thanks so much!
Jory Hemmelgarn
6 years ago
The best Tom Kha i’ve had in Bangkok (besides just super good, workaday street vendor dishes) is at Local Canteen in Si Lom!
Marian I
6 years ago
Been making this since Feb 2016 – thanks to you. Whole family loves it. So fragrant, delicate and delicious! Thank you for the detailed instructions, pictures and video. :)
Steve
6 years ago
No fish sauce??????
Ian
5 years ago
So much better with fish sauce!!
Leah
6 years ago
Is it possible to get this recipe in a .pdf? I really want to make this but I need a printout version, please!
Mark Wiens
6 years ago
Hey Leah, I don’t have this in PDF yet, but feel free to copy it and print it off for now. I’m hoping to publish a full recipe book sometime in the near future!
Bella
6 years ago
Hi Mark,
Greetings from Singapore! I tried the recipe and replaced chicken with tofu as I am a vegan. I worked magic. Such a wonderful dish! The first time I had Tom Kha Gai was at a Thai restaurant in town. I think your version is more authentic and definitely tastes better. Many big thanks to you.
Mark Wiens
6 years ago
Hey Bella, awesome to hear that, glad it worked so well and that you enjoyed it!
Siri
6 years ago
I just made it, and it is one of the better dishes i have tasted, it is so easy and this will deffinitly not be the last time i am making this :D
Mark Wiens
6 years ago
Awesome to hear that Siri, great news!
Christina
6 years ago
Just tried it and absolutely loved it! The only addition I made was 1 tbsp of fish sauce!
Mark Wiens
6 years ago
Awesome to hear that Christina!
Sharon
6 years ago
Just made this. If I could eat it every day for every meal, I would be happy! The boxed coconut milk was so much better than the cans, too–great tip!
Mark Wiens
6 years ago
Hey Sharon, great to hear that, glad you enjoyed it!
Amanda Cooper
6 years ago
I make a totally blasphemous rendition of Tom Kha Gai! I reckon it’s ok that I do it, because my Thai friend, Kanitta, did it first. I start with the classic recipe (which is so tasty, but not as filling for a whole meal). I add diced water chestnuts, large chopped carrot, soba noodles, and firm tofu. I also serve the sticky rice in banana packet, if guests want it. Kanitta makes fresh spring rolls to go with!
Mark Wiens
6 years ago
Hey Amanda, cool to hear that. I’m a fan of switching things around so they are exactly unique the way we want them. Some noodles and tofu in tom kha gai sounds like it would work well.
Ah-Ber
7 years ago
This is indeed one of the more authentic recipes for Tom Kha Gai available. Had an excellent meal this evening!
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Great to hear that Ah-Ber, thanks for cooking it!
Cassandra
7 years ago
Be mindful of overcooking the chicken too. First time I made this, it was delicious but the chicken was a bit tough/rubbery. The temp definitely never got too high but too much overall time on the burner. The result should be tender poached chicken.
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Hey Cassandra, great thank you for sharing.
Moon Goddah
7 years ago
Yes Thank you will love more authentic recipes happy to have found you
Kasia
7 years ago
I’ve tried Your receipe and it was just wonderful! I served it to my colleagues from Singapore and they were really impressed :-)
Kathy
7 years ago
Love this dish! We have been to Thailand 4 times and I finally tried the last time I was there. So glad Mark shared this recipe. I have made it twice since April with all fresh ingredients, both times it came out spectacular! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
L Pat
7 years ago
OMG! This is so tasty and authentic – have made it a few times.
L Pat
7 years ago
oh and…I add a little bit of brown sugar :)
Joy Oh
7 years ago
yes indeed treat your coconut milk gently. sometimes when we have lots of people and we’re limited on chicken, we add green papaya or sayote. garnish with basil :)
Vanessa
7 years ago
Thank you for your recipe. I made the vegetarian version, Tom kha het (creamy mushroom soup) and it was delicious. I did use a pinch of sugar and fish sauce instead of salt as every Thai recipe I was ever taught included ‘fishsauce, sugar,MSG little bit’ :)
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Hi Vanessa, thank you very much for sharing, glad it turned out so well!
Nyna
7 years ago
I add some tamarind and a can of unpeeled straw mushrooms. I love the “pop” of flavor when I bite into the mushroom. They also add an additional texture for my mouth. I haven’t tried tomatoes in my recipe yet, but I have had restaurant soup with them in it.
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Hi Nyna, thanks for sharing, sounds good!
Jo
7 years ago
Delish! Thank you! I too added fish sauce as the man at the Asian market told me it would be appropriate. I made such a huge vat, I will have eight meals for the price of one from a restaurant – plus I can customise it. I have had so many variations of this meal, I know how I like it. Yum :)
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Hey Jo, great to hear that, keep enjoying it!
Ismo
7 years ago
I use allways also fish souce. I have to try next time only salt as you said because coconut taste.
One time i made this soup to my neighbour and i said that was chicken soup. He just wondered that she thinked it was fish soup ;-)
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Thanks Ismo, let me know how it turns out!
Chris
7 years ago
Hi! This recipe is perfect! Thanks!
bernhard
7 years ago
great taste and very fine …. thanks
kris
8 years ago
I make this recipe a couple times a month but I don’t use salt, I use fish sauce. And a lot of it. Is that wrong?
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Hi Kris, good to hear from you. That’s totally fine to use fish sauce in the recipe, but some people in Thailand don’t because fish sauce adds saltiness but also alters the taste of the fresh coconut milk, while tom kha gai is supposed to be very pure with coconut milk and just a faint fragrance of lemongrass and galangal. So it depends on your personal preference. Most of the time in Thailand I’ve seen salt, but occasionally I’ve tasted fish sauce as well.
E Phil
8 years ago
Your recipes are delicious.
I lived in Mexico, we do not have many Thai restaurants.
However thanks to you I can cook thai food which all of us love and enjoy.
Galangal is not available in Mexico but I used ginger instead.
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Hey, E Phil, great to hear from you, I’m happy to hear you’re cooking Thai food in Mexica. Glad you enjoyed it!
Dick Dawson
8 years ago
Nice job! I use straw mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and fish sauce instead of sea salt. Real easy to make and simply delicious.
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Thank you for sharing Dick. I love it with straw mushrooms too.
Joelle
8 years ago
I live in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Seriously. I will have to make some substitutions. I have ground galangal and lemongrass. Any guesses on amounts? Kafir limes are a no-go, too, but I’ll look into getting a tree. I have a meyer lemon tree. Should I try those or just use lime zest? And yes, I know it won’t taste as great as the place we get it when we’re out in the real world, but even something close would be great! It’s one of our favourites.
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Hey Joelle, I love your enthusiasm and glad you’re giving it a try! I would just start with a couple tablespoons of each and taste test many times. For the lime, I think lime peel might be good as other citrus leaves don’t have as much flavor. I think it will taste great, let me know how it goes!
Anders
8 years ago
If you cannot get fresh galanga, i suggest to use fresh ginger instead of ground galanga. Taste will be different, but beetter in my opinion. Good luck :-)
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Thank you Anders
M
8 years ago
Having difficulty finding kafir leaves. What can be used as a substitute?
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Hi M, it’s a tough things to substitute, but you might try some orange leaves, or green orange peel. Can you find the whole kaffir limes?
Edwina
8 years ago
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made exactly as you said, but I added a few drops of fish sauce (the lady at the Thai market suggested that I do so). The curry was great and the entire family loved it!! Now I can never eat this soup at a restaurant because I see that they tend to serve us a watered down version of this soup/curry, here in the US.
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Hi Edwina, great to hear you made this tom kha gai recipe and enjoyed it, thanks for sharing!
Lisa
9 years ago
Ps, we ordered a small kafir lime tree. Great way to always have leaves.
Lisa
9 years ago
I have been using fish sauce instead of salt. We all like it that way – but is that inauthentic?
Mark Wiens
9 years ago
Hi Lisa, normally my mother in law uses salt for tom kha gai, so that the flavor of the coconut milk remains more pure – but that being said, I think it’s fine that you’re using fish sauce. And very cool to hear that you ordered a kaffir lime tree!
Ruby Bastion
7 years ago
Hi Mark, , I’ve been looking for an authentic recipe for this for so long. I lived in Singapore for 2 years and it was one of my favourites. I live in New Zealand, South Island so colder than the North. Galangal is difficult to obtain and when it’s available it’s seasonal, I much prefer it to ginger as it has a different taste.
..i’m going to try to find some to grab and plant.
I love this soup, but also have another favourite I cannot find a recipe for…Deep fried cuttlefish balls. They had a lovely texture crust on them and were dipped in something that tasted like maple syrup.
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Hi Ruby, good to hear from you, hope this recipe works well for you and that you can find some galangal soon. Hmm, were the deep fried cuttlefish balls Thai?
Bernadeta Vitálosová
4 years ago
Hi, Ihave a tip for you, if the galangal seasonal then put some away in your freezer or dry them, but first wash and cut it up. Cheers!
Kitti
9 years ago
Tom Kha Gai, one of my favorite !!!
Mark Wiens
9 years ago
Glad you love it too Kitti.