Thai · Dinner · All year
Tom Kha Gai
4.6 · community
15m
Prep
20m
Cook
Easy
Level
380
Energy
Thailand's velvet soup: coconut milk perfumed with lemongrass, galangal-adjacent ginger, and kaffir lime, holding chicken and mushrooms in silky suspension.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
Before you start
Mise en place
Equipment
Large skillet
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Prep checklist
Chicken Thighsthin-sliced
Lemongrassbruised, in lengths
Kaffir Lime Leavestorn
Gingersliced (galangal if you find it)
Cremini Mushroomsquartered
Red Chilisliced
Thai Basilor cilantro
3 steps
Method
1
Simmer stock with lemongrass, lime leaves, and ginger 8 minutes — building the perfume base. These aromatics flavor and stay in the bowl unchewed, Thai-style.
8 min — timer available in cooking mode
2
Coconut milk, chicken, and mushrooms; poach gently 8–10 minutes — never boil hard; coconut milk splits under violence.
9 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
A shivering simmer keeps the coconut milk silky. This soup is cooked at a whisper.
3
OFF heat: fish sauce and lime juice (heat kills both). Chili and herbs in the bowls. Rice optional, spoon mandatory.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.
Make ahead
Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.
Wine pairing
Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.
Beer pairing
Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Crusty bread or buttered rice
A sharp green salad
Roasted seasonal vegetables
Garnish
Fresh herbs added off the heat
A squeeze of lemon
Flaky salt
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
1
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
1
Per serving
Nutrition
380
kcal
24g
protein
12g
carbs
27g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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