by Alessandra Ressa
If you’ve been craving authentic Thai food which is not easy to find in Trieste, this recipe is for you.
Tom Kha Gai is a fragrant, exotic, spicy coconut milk soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup) full of amazing flavor. You can make your own tasty and healthy Tom Kha Gai with very little adaptation and impress your family and friends. Surprisingly, you will find all of the ingredients you need for the recipe right here in Trieste.
This recipe can be prepared quickly on the stovetop. Which means you can sip your Spritz Aperol at Caffe San Marco all afternoon and still have time put together an original dinner last minute without spending the whole day in the kitchen.
I will help you prepare this delicious dish step by step, and will tell you where to find the ingredients around town – which is half the fun.
What makes this Tom Kha Gai recipe truly authentic is the use of galangal root. It is similar to ginger, but tastes completely different. Of course, the root is hard to find in Trieste. But don’t panic and go to Currymix in via Torre Bianca 22/b to buy a jar of Green Curry Paste, which will guarantee authenticity of your soup.
(Photo 2) Green Curry paste
Ingredients for 4 to 6 people:
- 1 spoonful Green curry paste
- Fresh ginger root
- 2 fresh lemongrass stalks
- 2 cans of coconut milk for cooking
- 1 fresh lime (1 tablespoon)
- 8 kefir lime leaves (dried or fresh)
- 6 taro roots for extra thickness (optional but strongly recommended)
- 1 sweet potato for extra sweet flavor (optional but strongly recommended)
- Fresh mushrooms (to cook whole if not too big)
- 2 fresh Thai Chilies (any spicy small chilies will do)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 300 grams boneless chicken
If you are now panicking because none of these ingredients are in your fridge, get your recyclable shopping bags and head to Currymix. There you will find the green curry paste, fresh ginger root, fresh lemongrass stalks, fresh lime and dried kaffir lime leaves.
Remember to call before you go as lemongrass is quite popular and you want to be sure to find it fresh. The very cooperative Pakistani owner will be able to tell you exactly when the next order of lemongrass will be in, and you can plan your meal accordingly. Lemongrass can be preserved in the freezer for future use.
Next, head to viale XX Settembre. In via Brunner 6/a (across the street from viale) enter the tiny little store called Asian Market Trieste where you will find the rest of the ingredients at a very affordable price. The owners are also from Pakistan.
Get your fish sauce there (a smelly yet delicious extract from rotten fish, very popular in the Southeast Asian cuisine), canned coconut milk for cooking, taro roots (see picture as they go by a different name in the shop and I never quite got it), and sweet potato. The original Thai recipe does not contain taro nor sweet potato, but if you plan it as a whole meal it’s a nice addition to fill you up.
Buy the rest of the ingredients in your supermarket. Peel the taro roots and sweet potato, cut them into thick dice and boil them for about 10 minutes until soft.
Add the chicken cut in bitesize pieces, fish sauce, salt, brown sugar, three thickly sliced pieces of ginger, two lemongrass stalks (whole), kaffir lime leaves, red chilies, and mushrooms.
Let it all boil gently for another 10 minutes. Add coconut milk, green chili paste, fish sauce and lime juice and let it cook over low heat. Add extra water if the ingredients aren’t fully covered in liquid and stir to avoid boiling as the coconut milk will lose its sweet flavor if overcooked.
Serve hot and make sure to arrange your bowls so that each contains an equal amount of ingredients. Tom Kha is usually eaten with a spoon.
Place an extra bowl in the middle of your table and instruct your guests on discarding the ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves (they can enjoy fishing them out or choking on them – either way).
The lucky ones are those who get the little fiery chilies. I normally encourage my guests to put them in the non-edible pile of discarded spices, but they sometimes want to experience the thrill of losing their taste buds for hours (some people really know how to have fun). This is a great soup to eat in winter.
