Thai Cooking: Tom Yam Kung

When I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I took a Thai cooking class and learned how to make a few different Thai dishes, one of which was Tom Yam Kung, a hot and sour soup with prawns. Due to the array of spices and the blending of herbs, this soup contains an array of flavors, including sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and bitter, making it a delicious adventure for your palate. Here is how you can make this delicious soup at home:

Ingredients:

50 g prawns (if you don’t like prawns you can use chicken, tofu or other seafood)
3-4 pieces of sliced lemon grass
3-4 pieces of Thai ginger/galangal (can substitute ginger mixed with a little lemon juice)
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half (can substitute with leaves from another citrus)
1-3 fresh or dried chillies, crushed
30 g straw mushrooms, cut into quarters (can substitute regular sliced mushrooms)
30 g large onion, cut into quarters
30 g tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 tsp sliced coriander
1 tsp sugar
1-1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fish cause (can substitute soy sauce)
1 1/2 cup chicken stock (can substitute vegetable stock)

Method:

*Boil chicken stock in a pot, add lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and chillies and cook until boiling (If using chicken or tofu, add this).

*Add straw mushrooms and onion in the pot and gently stir for 5-10 minutes.

*Add prawns or seafood and tomatoes and season with fish sauce, sugar, and lemon juice.

*Turn off the heat, sprinkle with coriander, and serve boiling/hot.