Have you tried this place??

Here is a link that might be useful: Thai recipes

If you have Asian stores around, you can buy it canned. I add the chicken, coconut milk and some bamboo shoots and it tastes just like the restaurant one.

Hi Amy the gardener,

We love the Tom Kha soup too, and a few years ago found a slew of recipes for it. The key essentials are, in this order 1)Kaffir lime leaves 2) galangal or 'galanga' 3) teeny bit of fish sauce

- 1 can coconut milk, + about a half can or more of water
- five or six half dollar size slices of galangal (you CAN'T have to much of this, yummm. Get at Ranch 99 or May Wah, cut up in small slices and freeze till you need it)
- several kaffir lime leaves...if you cut them in smaller pieces, the juices seep out faster. You can't buy this in CA, at least not legally. I use this for so many things I went ahead and bought the $25 shrub...steadily supply of leaves for me and friends, year round.
- I guess lemongrass, can't remember, but never hurts!
- 1 tblsp of fish sauce (or 1 teaspoon if you like it milder. This is what gives the soup that pungent, addictive taste.
- teaspoon or so of sugar
- lime juice to taste
- optional but great - half teaspoon or so of Pepper Sa-Te Sauce, made by Huy Fong Foods...available I'm sure at Ranch 99 or May Wah in SF.
- a teeny bit of tumeric for color
- for more spicy, a red chili, sliced up small, or ground
- chicken
- mushrooms

To get started, I'd open and put the coconut milk in a bowl and set aside, then put about half can of water or a little more into your main pan. Go ahead and get the galangal and lemon leaves and lemongrass simmering for a while (20 mins?) to bring out the flavor. Then add the coconut milk, mushrooms, and everything else. you don't want the coconut milk to boil, but do need a good simmer going on to cook the chicken thoroughly...10 minutes? I add mushrooms at the last minute or two so they don't get overcooked.

Good luck!!

Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing this Lisa, will have to try this one soon!

:)

I just cooked up a fresh pot for lunch would you like to stop by?

Ankrara's Hobby Corner

It's so easy to lose track of the posts I did.
Thank you Lisa for sharing the recipe. I'd surely try yours.
By the way, why is selling Kaffir lime leaves illegal? I have a Vietnamese supermarket 20 min. away from me that I see them selling those leaves. (Well, at least that what I think they are.)
Also I see tons of fish sauce brands at the market and never know what to buy. Is there a particular brand that you recommend?
Thank you again. I'd be sure to check back.

For excellent and authentic Thai recipes visit my friend Kasma Loha-unchit's site. She is an award winning authour for her two books Raining Fishes and Dancing Prawns. There are perhaps 30 recipes on her site. If you live in the SF Bay Area, Kasma even teaches cooking lessons!

www.thaifoodandtravel.com

I have never heard it is illeagle to sell fresh Kaffir Lime/Magroot leaves, only the dry imported ones are banned due to a bug they carry which can harm our citrus here.

Mary-Anne

There is no problem purchasing a Kaffir lime tree in California. I bought one at OSH several years ago and it is growing beautifully. They are not illegal to grow here.