Thai style Tom Kha Gai (galangal & chicken soup)..

Thai style Tom Kha Gai (galangal & chicken soup)..

A mate put me onto this recipe (Cheers Sir) & seeing as we had a lot of the herbs/spices needed growing in the patch it was worth a crack I thought.. Normally the only veggie/fungus added is mushrooms from what I have seen but I decided to add some other greens instead as they were ready to harvest..

Ingredients...

2 x 400ml tins coconut cream/milk (I like to use cream)
400ml water
15 thin slices of fresh galangal root (75mm/3" piece)
1 large or 2 small stalks of lemongrass, bruised & cut into 40mm/1½" pieces.
5 kaffir lime leaves, torn into thirds
4 chicken thighs, diced into 10mm/½" pieces
2 tbsp fish sauce
1½ tbsp lime juice
½ tbsp palm/rapadura/Panela sugar
2 Chillies, diced finely3/4 cup of raw jasmine rice, cooked..
My extra additions were,
1 small zucchini/courgette, sliced thinly
8 snake bean, cut into 25mm/1" lengths
Full handful of chopped greens per person..

- Place coconut cream/milk, water, lemongrass, galangal & kaffir leaves into saucepan & bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 min.
- Add chicken, simmer for another 15 min & start to cook rice.
- Remove soup from heat, add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar & chillies to soup, mix, then tweak as needed.
- The galangal, lemongrass & lime leaves can be removed now or left in to be eaten around as they are rather tough to eat.
- Add leafy greens to bowl then top with cooked rice.
- Add beans, zucchini then soup to bowl & serve...

Veggies came out nice & crunchy, just the way I like it.. This meal will definitely get a spin on the menu again as it was mild enough for the whole family to devour yet the chilli added at the end gave a nice little kick for Bianca & I..
Hope you like it if you try it...
Rob..

Lion's Head Soup...

  The below recipe amounts gave us enough Pork balls to feed 4 but we only made up 2 serves... The remaining meat mixture was reserved to add to 250g/½ pound of minced Prawn/Shrimp to make Wontons at a latter date... The Soup liquid & Veggies will be different to the clip bellow..
Traditionally the final cooking of the soup was done in a earthenware pot but we used a saucepan for tonight's meal...  For the full 4 serves I would prepare it in our 4 litre/quart cast iron Casserole dish..

Lion's Head Soup...
Serves 4

Ingredients... 
Lion's Head Pork Balls...

•  500g / 1 pound Pork Mince
• 4 Water Chestnuts, finely diced
• 1 heaped tsp minced Ginger
• 2 Spring/Green Onion, finely chopped
  (Reserve some greens for garnish)
• 2 Tbsp Chinese White Rice Wine
• 1 heaped tsp Oyster Sauce
• 2 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 tsp Chilli paste or 1 finely diced Chilli
• 1 Tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 5 Tbsp Corn Flour, or enough to give you a slightly firm texture

1. Pre heat large fry pan to a medium heat with enough Oil to cover the base with just over 1cm or ½ inch of oil..      (I would recommend Peanut or Rice bran oil)
2. Add all but the Corn Flour into a bowl & combine well. 
3. Add enough Corn Flour to "firm" up the mix so it is not to sticky.
4. Roll into 8 evenly sized balls.
5. Fry balls for 15-20 min turning 3-4 min.
6. Remove from oil and drain oil for a few minutes.

 Ingredients...
Chicken Soup...

• 5 cups Chicken Stock (I use 2 tsp Chicken stock powder & 5 cups water)
• 4 Pak Choi, Bok Choi or favourite soup greens, washed & sliced into strips
• 2 cups/2 big  handfuls of Snow Peas, slithered
• 1/2 Large Red Capsicum/Pepper, sliced thinly
• 1/2 tsp Sesame oil
• Thinly chopped Green/Spring Onion leaves for garnish

1.  Once the oil had drained the balls place them into the Chicken stock then bring to a medium simmer for 20 min. This will release some of the flavour from the balls into the stock making it a truly awesome soup..
2. Place the Greens, most of the Snow Peas into bowls then place 2 Pork balls on top.
3. Add Sesame oil to soup liquid, stir then pour into bowls.
4. Garnish with Capsicum/Pepper, remaining Snow Peas & chopped Green/Spring Onion..
   
   
   
   I hope you enjoy this as we were totally wrapped with & will be making it again very soon for some guests...
   Have a great one all...