I lived in South East Asia for a long time and my love of their culinary smells and flavours came with me when I left. Forgive me if I keep returning to the dishes I remember fondly, miss and often crave.
Tom Kha is an exception. I always LOVED Tom Yum (see post dated 1 January 2026) but I never ate Tom Kha. It differs from Tom Yum in that it is made with chicken and coconut milk making it sweeter and creamier than Tom Yum.
Reading a NYT restaurant review specialising in Tom Kha peeked my curiosity and before I knew it, I was looking at recipes on line. I had already collected a few. From my recollections of making ABC soup recently where coconut water replaces chicken broth, I thought I might try this in Tom Kha. What I discovered is a rich, sweet broth that mellows the chilli spice significantly and blends the aromatics into a sumptuous soup. What it lacks in appearance, it more than makes up in taste.
If you have the ingredients for Tom Yum, all you need is Thai curry paste (see post 24 March 2022), pure coconut water and organic coconut milk to make Tom Kha. I made the soup base from dried porcinis soaked in filtered water and added kelp powder. You can use a homemade vegetable soup stock instead. For an authentic version, add prawns or air fry some faba bean tofu (instructions on how to make it coming tomorrow) to make it vegetarian or vegan.
Tom Kha Soup
Ingredients
1 white onion, peeled and copped
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4-6 Thai red chillies, stems trimmed and sliced
3 inch piece of galangal, sliced
1 Large, thick lemongrass stalk, trimmed, outer layer peeled
1 tbs Thai red curry paste (see 24 March 2022)
5-7 market lime leaves
1 tsp pure kelp powder
2 cups filtered water
10-12 grams dried porcini mushrooms
4 cups coconut water (nothing added)
1 400 ml can organic coconut milk
300 grams oyster or button mushrooms
1 tbs organic coconut sugar
2 tbs No fish sauce (or Redboat/Son fish sauce)
1/2-1 tsp Himalayan pink salt (omit if using fish sauce)
2 tbs fresh lime juice
lime wedge or 1 tsp fresh lime juice, for serving
fresh cilantro, finely cut, for serving
fresh red chillies, thinly sliced, per serving
Method
Wash the dried porcinis and soak in a bowl with 2 cups of filtered water.
Prepare the aromatics by trimming the lemon stalk, peeling the outer layer and gently smashing with a pestle or the flat side of a large knife. Cut the lemongrass in to 3 inch slices. Tear the makrut leaves from the central stem, discarding the stems. Slice the galangal. Trim the stems from the chillies and slice. Peel the garlic and slice. Place the sliced chillies and garlic in a mort and pestle and pound until you have a paste. Peel and chop the onion and shallots.
Heat a medium sized Dutch oven and add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for several minutes. Add the garlic/chili paste, red curry paste, galangal and lemongrass slices, makrut lime leaves and cook until the onions soften. Take the porcini mushrooms out of the soaking water and chop. Add the mushroom soaking water, porcinis, kelp powder and 2 cups of coconut water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop the oyster or button mushrooms and slice the chillies and finely chop the cilantro.
Add the remaining coconut water, coconut cream and fresh mushrooms and return to a boil. Lower the heat and add the No fish sauce and salt (or fish sauce), coconut sugar and lime juice. If you are adding shrimp, add only what you plan to eat right away. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately alongside small dishes of fresh cilantro, thinly sliced fresh chillies and lime juice for everyone to help themselves.
Store left overs in the refrigerator or freezer in glass airtight containers.