Tom kha gai
Galangal paste, chicken thighs and oyster mushrooms come together in this Thai chicken β 75 minutes, 9 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 9 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At medium difficulty across 9 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Pour the chicken stock and coconut milk into a large saucepan set over a medium heat.
- Tip in the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer, around 6-8 mins.
- Keeping at a gentle simmer, add the chicken.
- Cook for 8-10 mins until tender and cooked through.
- Stir in the mushrooms and chillies, and simmer for a further 3-5 mins until everything is cooked through. Sprinkle in the sugar and 3 tbsp each of the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and add the remaining if required.
- Remove the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves before serving using a slotted spoon.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with coriander leaves sprinkled over and steamed rice on the side.
- Will keep chilled for up to three days.
- Leave to cool first.
You'll use: Saucepan Β· Pan Β· Steamer
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube β pressing play loads content from YouTube.
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk Β· Β½ cup evaporated milk + Β½ cup water
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- Lime
- lemon
- Fish Sauce
- soy sauce + a pinch of salt
What to serve with Tom kha gai
- Massaman Beef curry Beef
- Pad Thai Seafood
- Drunken noodles (pad kee mao) Beef
- Tom yum soup with prawns Seafood
Tips & common questions
How long does Tom kha gai take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 9 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Tom kha gai via TheMealDB (open database). βΆ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure β how we source recipes.