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Background Thai Coconut Chicken Soup or Tom Ka Gai is one of the most popular Thai dishes for non-Thai people. In Thai "Tom" means soup; "Ka" means galangal, which is the main herb in this soup; and "Gai" means chicken. The coconut soup in Thailand is less thick than the one served in the U.S. because Americans usually like creamy soup.

Variations You can replace the chicken with any kind of meat you like, or even tofu or other vegetables, but chicken is the most popular for this menu item. Most people are careful not to eat the herbs because they hard to chew and have a strong flavor, but if you cut them smaller and thinner you can eat them. You can place the herbs and chilies in a sachet or a wire mesh ball while the soup is boiling and remove before serving to make it safer for people who are not used to eating Thai food - accidentally biting into a chili will not be a good experience for most people. If you like a more creamy soup, reduce the coconut juice or water, or you don't have to add any water at all because some water will come from the meat, mushrooms and seasonings. Feel free to explore this recipe and add more or less flavor to make it the way you like, but make small changes and taste first before adding more. Please note that all Thai recipes are flexible as in Thailand people do not normally measure ingredients, just estimate, taste and add more until it is right. At CookingThaiFood.Com we have measured and timed our own authentic Thai recipes to give you a starting point. For people who are not used to eating spicy food we recommend starting with fewer chilies, and if you feel the flavor is too mild then add more, or if you don't want any spice then omit the chilies completely.

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