Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kah Gai) Serves 4 to 6

1 lb. white or dark chicken meat with bones left in

3 cups thick coconut milk
5 pieces kah (galangal) [use ginger in a pinch, but it WON'T be the same!]
3 Kaffir lime leaves

2 Serrano chiles (to your liking)
½ cup coriander sprigs (cilantro)

2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam pla)
2 Tbs. lime juice

1. Slice or chop the chicken into 3/4" pieces or thin strips. Bones add
flavor, remove them if you'd rather.

2. Put the chicken, coconut milk, kah and Kaffir lime leaves in a saucepan,
cover and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or
until chicken is done.

3. Remove the stems, but not the seeds, from the chiles and crush them with
the side of a cleaver or large knife until they split open in several
places. Coarsely chop the cilantro.

4. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, cilantro and chiles to the soup, remove
it from the heat and stir well to mix all thoroughly. Taste and add lime
juice as needed to balance coconut milk sweetness.

Serve with rice.

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Hot & Spicy Chicken Soup (Tom Yum Gai) Serves 4 to 6

3 stalks lemon grass, bottom 6" only
4 cups water or chicken broth
3 Kaffir lime leaves

1 lb. chicken breasts

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. fish sauce

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. lime juice

3 Serrano chiles (to your liking)

½ cup cilantro

1. Slice the lemon grass in half, lengthwise. Crush the slices with the
side of a knife or cleaver and put them in a saucepan with the water or
chicken broth and Kaffir lime leaves.

2. Chop the chicken into 3/4" pieces, leaving the bones for flavor or
removing them. Set aside.

3. Bring the water or chicken broth with the lemon grass and Kaffir lime
leaves to a gentle boil and boil for 5 minutes, covered. Add the chicken
and fish sauce and boil gently, covered, until the chicken is done, around
15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and add the lime juice.

5. Remove the stems, but not the seeds, from the chiles, Crush the chiles
with a side of a cleaver or large knife until they split in several places.
Add them to the soup and stir.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Recipes from “Thai Home Cooking from Kamolmal's Kitchen”, by William
Crawford & Kamolmal Pootaraksa, but this is essentially the way the cuz
makes it.

--
Intuitive insights from Nick, Retired in the San Fernando Valley

http://operationiraqichildren.org/