Fah Thai Magazine Nov/Dec 2017

OVERTURES
ON THE MENU
Feasting on a
Flavourful Soup
This light and lovely dish holds much depth
in its creamy appearance. A well-loved dish,
Tom Kha Gai is treasured for its smoothness
and lively flavours.
Words Sarita Urupongsa
Tom Kha Gai or Chicken Coconut
Soup is another local favourite
among Thais and foreigners alike
– a rich soup with coconut milk
that’s infused with the aromatic
essences of galangal, lemongrass,
and kaffir lime leaves.
Best served with steamed
rice, one bowl may never be
enough as the soup comes with
the perfect combination of sour,
salty, and sweet flavours without
the usually bold spicy profile of
Thai dishes that can surprise
the palate. Coconut milk, its
quintessential ingredient, plays
a big part in creating the richer
texture of the creamy white soup.
Tom Kha Gai will never be
complete without authentic Thai
herbs that spices up its flavour
profile to make the creamy soup
stand out. The combination of
key ingredients like galangal,
lemongrass, kaffir lime and, shallots
plays a big part in bringing out the
taste of Tom Kha Gai. Tom Kha
Gai’s mild yet complex broth is also
an ideal base for customisation of
preferred chicken cuts and types of
mushrooms. Now one of the most
asked for dish in Thai restaurants,
some places may modify the
Photos Dolnapa Ram-Indra
recipe by changing from chicken to
shrimp, striped snakefish, or even
just mushrooms.
When talking about Bangkok’s
most-loved restaurants, the name
of Krua Apsorn on Sukhumvit 26
in Bangkok fondly comes up. It’s
known to locals for almost 40
years and legendary for their
classic Thai menus. From its first
branch on Samsen Road close to
Tha Wasukri pier, the restaurant
now operates more than 10
branches nationwide. The place is
best recognised for its homemade
authentic Thai dishes with recipes
that cater to everyone’s palate.
Apart from Krua Apsorn’s signature
recipes that balances tastiness
and rich flavours, the restaurant
uses fresh ingredients procured
by a dedicated team with visits
to several markets to ensure only
quality ones in Krua Apsorn’s
dishes; along with its commitment
not to add monosodium glutamate
and other additives. Krua Apsorn’s
most well-known dishes include
Tom Kha Gai with banana blossom
and free-range chicken cuts, and
other menu items like Chicken
Green Curry and Sour Curry with
climbing wattles and shrimp.
Ingredients
• 200g chicken breasts, cut into bite size
• 50g water
• 150g thick coconut milk
• ½ cup oyster mushrooms or any
mushroom type of one’s choice
• 5 slices young galangal
• 5 pieces of lemongrass, sliced
• 3 shallots, cut and diced
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 2 dill leaves
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• 3 bird’s eye chillies, slightly ground
• Coriander and dried chillies for garnish
Seasoning
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1½ tbsp fish sauce
• 1½ tbsp sugar
A Modern Take on
Tom Kha Gai
TOM KHA GAI AT
QUAINT BANGKOK
This fusion restaurant is known for its
meticulous take on Thai cuisine with a creative
and interesting twist. Modern in appearance
and ingredients, its dishes are rich in taste and
cooked with authentic Thai pastes. Quaint
Bangkok’s Tom Kha Gai is praised by diners for
its deliberate choice of a whole chicken leg, as
this part is tender with the right amount of fat.
Here, the chicken is sprinkled with sea salt on
both sides, and the leg is then seared until it
becomes crispy and is later stewed in chicken
stock with herbs for quite some time, at 90
minutes. The tender and juicy chicken, with
its full herbal aroma, is then roasted further to
finish and served atop the soup.
23 Sukhumvit 61, +66 (0) 2714 1998,
+66 (0) 94 495 6949
Cooking Instructions
Boil water and add lemongrass, kaffir lime,
and shallots before adding chicken meat
and leaving all to cook. Lemongrass, kaffir
lime, and shallots will reduce the smell of
fresh chicken meat.
Pour finished stock into a new saucepan.
Add the thick coconut milk and simmer. Be
careful with the heat: if it’s too hot, the oil from
the coconut milk will separate and float up, and
be unappetising. When the water is boiling,
add all the ingredients in (except the seasoning)
and simmer in medium heat.
Stir all the ingredients, including remaining
ones together, and wait until the vegetables
change in colour, around 5-7 minutes. Turn
the stove off immediately.
Season with lime juice, fish sauce, and
sugar. Serve the soup in a bowl and garnish
it with coriander and dried chillies.
Tip
For delicious Tom Kha Gai, select young galangal for better flavour. Older and hard ones
will only bring out the spiciness and won’t balance the taste of the soup.
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