Summary: Coconut milk with galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, with chicken and mushrooms gently poached. The flavour is finished with fish sauce and lime juice off the heat. Total time 40 minutes, serves 6.
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Category: Soups · Thai Cuisine
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Quick overview
- Dish: Tom Kha Gai – coconut soup with chicken, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves
- Category: soups, thai-cuisine
- Cuisine: Thai
- Main ingredient: Chicken, 600 g (boneless thigh) (quality specification)
- Guide: 12 most famous Thai dishes: traditional recipes from Thai cuisine
- Total time: 40 minutes (20 min preparation + 20 min cooking)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Servings: 6 (Serving weight: 377 g)
- Key technique: Infusing the aromatic base in coconut milk and adding the meat below boiling point
- Preparation types: Cooking in coconut milk
- Dietary info & allergens: fish (fish sauce), crustaceans (curry paste, if used)
- Suitable for: Family dinner, dinner with friends, quick weekday lunch or a festive multi-course table.
- Nutritional values (per 1 serving): 432, Protein: 23.9 g, Fat: 31.1 g, Carbohydrates: 14.2 g
- Storage: 3 days in the fridge, 1 month in the freezer
- Pairing: wheat beer, dry Gewürztraminer, coconut water
- In short: Coconut milk with galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, in which chicken and mushrooms are gently poached. Total time 40 minutes, serves 6.
WAGUU says: “Tom Kha is cooked slowly. When the coconut milk bubbles like potato soup, it’s too late.”
Key facts
| Preparation time: | 20 minutes |
| Cooking time: | 20 minutes |
| Temperature: | Coconut milk 85–90 °C, never a rolling boil; meat is poached for 12 minutes |
| Number of servings: | 6 |
In a nutshell
Tom Kha Gai is the gentler sibling of Tom Yum. Coconut milk carries sweetness and fat that binds the heat of chilli, so the soup is warming but not burning. Temperature is decisive: coconut milk must not boil vigorously, otherwise the fat separates and the soup splits into water and oil.
Ingredients
Base servings: 6 servings • Serving weight:377 g
| Ingredient | Amount | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| coconut milk | 800ml | full-fat, without stabilisers |
| chicken stock | 400ml | homemade or unsalted |
| boneless chicken thigh | 600g | skinless, sliced |
| galangal | 40g | fresh, thinly sliced |
| lemongrass | 3 stalks | fresh, bruised |
| kaffir lime leaves | 8 leaves | fresh, torn |
| fish sauce | 35ml | fermented |
| lime juice | 60ml | freshly squeezed |
| brown sugar | 15g | finely ground |
| red chilli | 3 pieces | fresh, sliced diagonally |
| bamboo shoots | 150g | thinly sliced |
| fresh coriander | 1 bunch | chopped |
| lime | 1 pieces | cut into wedges for serving |
| fine sea salt | 1 tsp | only if needed |
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Mild heat without sharpness: Coconut fat binds the capsaicin from chilli, so the soup is warming but not burning. It suits those who don’t eat spicy food.
- Ready in 40 minutes: The base infuses in coconut milk, the meat is added for twelve minutes. The soup doesn’t need a long stock.
- Precise ratios for 6 servings: One hundred grams of meat per serving, eight hundred millilitres of coconut milk and a sauce of acid, salt and sugar. The number of servings can be recalculated.
Success guaranteed: Coconut milk is an emulsion of water and coconut fat. A vigorous boil breaks the emulsion and the fat floats to the surface. That’s why Tom Kha is kept just below boiling point. The fat in coconut milk binds the capsaicin from chilli and the heat is distributed throughout the soup instead of burning in one spot. The acid from lime and the salt from fish sauce are added at the end so they don’t cook.
Recipe overview
Preparation: 20 min | Cooking: 20 min | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6 | Type: Soup | Origin: Thai
Detailed method
Total progress: 6 % done
Phase 1: Aromatic base in coconut milk – 8 min
Equipment: 3 l pot, rolling pin
1. Pour three hundred millilitres of coconut milk (the thickest part from the top of the tin) into a pot and warm it over a low heat until the first bubbles appear. Do not bring it to the boil.
2. Add the bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal and torn kaffir lime leaves. Let the base infuse under a lid so the aroma is released into the fat.
Visual check: The coconut milk is smooth and glossy, with no droplets of separated fat on the surface. The aroma of galangal is noticeable, but the milk is not bitter.
Before you move to the next step:
If the coconut milk boils vigorously, the fat separates and yellow droplets float to the surface. Lower the heat and recombine the milk with a whisk.
Phase 2: Poaching the chicken – 12 min
Equipment: pot, slotted spoon
1. Pour the rest of the coconut milk and the chicken stock into the base. Bring to 90 °C, just below boiling point, and add the sliced chicken thigh.
2.Poach the meat under a lid until it turns white and firm. Do not stir the pot vigorously during poaching, just shake it occasionally.
Visual check:The meat is white and firm to the touch, releasing no pink juices when pressed. The coconut milk remains smooth.
Before you move to the next step:
Meat added to boiling soup will toughen. Keep the temperature below boiling point and never cook the meat for more than fifteen minutes.
Phase 3: Mushrooms and chilli – 4 min
Equipment:knife, pot
1.Add the bamboo shoots and sliced chilli. Leave them in the soup for two minutes so the heat disperses into the coconut fat.
2.Remove the lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves from the soup, as they have already given up their aroma.
Visual check:The soup has a gentle heat that spreads, rather than burning in one spot. The shoots are warm but still crunchy.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not leave the herbs in the soup until the end of cooking; after a longer time they release bitterness and the soup turns green.
Phase 4: Seasoning off the heat – 3 min
Equipment:small bowl, ladle
1.Take the pot off the heat. In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar, then pour it into the soup.
2.Stir the soup and taste. Add another drop of lime or a pinch of sugar as needed.
Visual check:The taste is sweet, sour and salty in balanced proportion, with the heat remaining in the background. The lime smells fresh.
Before you move to the next step:
Never boil lime juice or fish sauce. Boiled lime turns bitter and fish sauce loses its fresh aroma.
Phase 5: Rest and check – 3 min
Equipment:spoon
1.Let the soup rest for two minutes so the flavours combine and the fat returns to the emulsion.
2.Check the consistency: the soup should be creamy but thinner than cream. If it is too thick, add a little stock.
Visual check:The soup is creamy, smooth and does not separate. It leaves a thin film on the spoon, not a layer of oil.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not thin a thick soup with cream, but with stock. Cream would add more fat and the emulsion would break.
Phase 6: Serving – 3 min
Equipment:deep bowls
1.Pour the soup into warmed bowls and place chopped coriander on the surface. Serve a lime wedge with each bowl.
2.Serve jasmine rice on the side, for guests to add directly to the soup or alongside it.
Visual check:The soup is hot but not boiling, and the coriander on the surface has not wilted.
Required equipment
| Utensils | Ideal size | Alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| pot | 3 l capacity, thick base | deep pan with lid | a thin base will burn the coconut milk at the bottom |
| wooden spoon | 30 cm long | silicone spatula | a metal spoon will scratch the base and the milk will burn |
| rolling pin | wooden | heavy knife | unbruised lemongrass will not release aroma into the fat |
| thermometer | up to 100 °C | estimate by bubbles | a rolling boil will break the coconut milk emulsion |
Shopping list
Nutritional profile
Values per 1 portion (without side dish). Calculated from average nutritional values of ingredients.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 portion | Per 6 portions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 481 kJ / 115 kcal | 1807 kJ / 432 kcal | 10845 kJ / 2592 kcal |
| Fat | 8.2 g | 31.1 g | 186.6 g |
| of which saturates | 5.9 g | 22.3 g | 133.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 3.8 g | 14.2 g | 85.2 g |
| of which sugars | 3.8 g | 14.2 g | 85.2 g |
| Protein | 6.3 g | 23.9 g | 143.4 g |
| Salt | 0.8 g | 3.0 g | 17.9 g |
Reference intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
WAGUU Professional level
- Professional standard: A tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 1: A tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 2: The coconut milk is smooth and glossy, with no droplets of separated fat on the surface. The aroma of galangal is noticeable, but the milk is not bitter. When coconut milk boils rapidly, the fat separates and yellow droplets rise to the surface. Reduce the heat and recombine the milk with a whisk.
- Tip 3: The meat is white and firm to the touch, releasing no pink juices when pressed. The coconut milk remains smooth. Meat added to boiling soup will toughen. Keep the temperature below boiling point and never cook the meat for more than fifteen minutes.
- Tip 4: Prepare the ingredients on the table in small bowls beforehand. Thai cooking is done over a high flame and there is no time to divide ingredients during cooking.
Scientific background
Galangal and lemongrass contain volatile oils that dissolve better in fats than in water. Coconut milk therefore carries them better than clear stock and the aroma is fuller. Boneless chicken thigh has more collagen than breast; during gentle poaching, the collagen turns into gelatine and the meat stays juicy.
Fine Dining – Professional techniques
- Plate composition: Serve the soup in a white ceramic bowl, where the creamy colour and green coriander stand out.
- Texture contrasts: Place a thin slice of lime and three rings of chilli on the surface. The aroma is released before the first sip.
- Temperature contrast: Serve a small bowl of jasmine rice shaped into a mound on the side, for the guest to add to the soup themselves.
- Aromatic additions: Finally, add a drop of sesame oil, which holds the galangal aroma on the surface and adds a subtle sheen.
Sensory radar
- Appearance: The soup is creamy white, with slices of white meat, green coriander leaves and red chilli slices.
- Aroma: Coconut sweetness with galangal and lemongrass, and a fresh lime note once stirred.
- Taste: Sweet and gentle coconut flavour, with heat gradually spreading through and a lime sourness at the end.
- Texture: The meat is soft and juicy, the shoots crunchy, and the soup creamy and smooth.
Pairing
- wheat beer: A wheat beer with a soft fruity flavour pairs with the coconut and galangal. Serve it at 7 °C.
- dry Gewürztraminer: A Gewürztraminer with pink aroma stands up to the coconut fat. Avoid wines with high oak content.
- coconut water: Chilled coconut water with a slice of lime. The coconut sweetness and lime acidity mirror the soup’s flavour.
Variations
- Tom Kha with prawns (Tom Kha Goong):: Replace the chicken with prawns, added in the last three minutes. The soup is sweeter and more marine, and the cooking time is reduced by five minutes.
- Vegetable Tom Kha:: Omit the meat and use two hundred grams of firm tofu, plus cauliflower and peas. Add the tofu in the last five minutes so it holds its shape.
Allergens and dietary information
Contains: fish (fish sauce), crustaceans (curry paste, if used) • Gluten: no, the recipe is gluten-free • Not suitable for: people with a fish or crustacean allergy
Suitable for
A family dinner, dinner with friends, a quick weekday lunch or a festive multi-course table.
FAQ
Why does my coconut milk split?
It boiled too hard, or the milk with stabilisers was heated too quickly. Keep the temperature between 85 and 90 °C and whisk, and the emulsion will come back together.
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but the meat will be drier. Poach the breast for only eight minutes and let it finish in the soup off the heat. Thigh is better suited to Tom Kha.
What can I use instead of fish sauce?
Soy sauce with an extra tablespoon of lime juice. The flavour will be less marine, but the saltiness remains. For a gluten-free version, use tamari.
How can I make the soup milder?
Add two tablespoons of coconut cream at the end and just warm it through. The cream thickens the soup and tones down the heat.
Can I freeze Tom Kha Gai?
Coconut milk often separates after thawing. Freeze the soup without the herbs and, once thawed, bring it back together with a whisk over a very low heat.
Which mushrooms work well?
Straw mushrooms or shiitake work best here. Button mushrooms release water and thin the broth, so stir them in only for the last two minutes.
WAGUU Petr advises: Cooking for 6 or more?
6–8 people: Heat the wok or pan in batches and keep the finished dish warm in an oven at 80 °C. Add the flavour components (fish sauce, lime, sugar) at the end, otherwise the aroma is lost. • 10+ people: Make the base (paste, stock or marinade) in double quantity and keep half for the next day. Fill the wok to no more than two-thirds, otherwise the ingredients steam instead of stir-frying.
Sides and serving
Serving: Serve in deep bowls with jasmine rice on the side. Top with coriander and chilli slices.
Storage and reheating
Fridge: 3 days • Freezer: 1 month • Reheating: Fridge: 3 days • Freezer: 1 month • Reheating: over a very low heat to 80 °C, stirring constantly with a whisk
Satay Gai – grilled marinated chicken skewers with peanut sauce and pickled vegetables
Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 8 Oct 2026 • Updated: 10 Oct 2026
More recipes from the article
Guide: 12 most famous Thai dishes: traditional recipes from Thai cuisine
Pad Thai – stir-fried rice noodles with egg, prawns, tofu, tamarind, peanuts and lime
Tom Yum Goong – hot and sour soup with prawns, lemongrass, galangal and chilli
Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan) – green curry with coconut milk, chicken and Thai basil
Massaman Curry – aromatic curry with beef, coconut milk, potatoes and peanuts
Som Tam – spicy green papaya salad with chilli, lime, fish sauce and peanuts
Som Tam – spicy green papaya salad with chilli, lime, fish sauce and peanuts
Pad Kra Pao – stir-fried meat with Thai basil, chilli and garlic, with rice and a fried egg
Khao Pad – Thai fried rice with egg, vegetables and chicken
Khao Soi – northern Thai noodle soup with coconut curry, chicken and crispy noodles
Satay Gai – marinated grilled chicken skewers with peanut sauce and pickled vegetables
Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang) – sticky rice with coconut milk and ripe mango
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Most common mistakes
- Aromatic base in coconut milk – If the coconut milk boils hard, the fat separates and yellow droplets rise to the surface. Turn down the heat and whisk the milk back together.
- Poaching the chicken – Meat added to boiling soup toughens. Keep the temperature below boiling point and never cook the meat for more than fifteen minutes.
- Mushrooms and chilli – Don’t leave the herbs in the soup until the end of cooking; after a longer time they turn bitter and the soup goes green.
- Seasoning off the heat – Lime and fish sauce are never cooked. Boiled lime turns bitter and fish sauce loses its fresh aroma.