Tom Yum Goong the most ffamous Thai dish

Tom Yum Goong (Hot and Sour Thai Prawn Soup)

Tom yum goong (ต้มยำ) is a soup originating from Thailand. It is perhaps the most famous dish in Thai cuisine.  Tom yum is characterized by its distinct hot and sour flavors, with fragrant herbs generously used. The basic broth is made of stock and fresh ingredients such as lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind, and crushed chilies.

In Thailand, tom yum is usually made with prawns (tom yum goong), chicken (tom yum gai), fish (tom yum pla), or mixed seafood (tom yum talay or tom yum po taek) and mushrooms - usually straw or oyster mushrooms. The soup is often topped with generous sprinkling of fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Ingredients

2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 1" pieces and smashed a bit with a pestle (about 1/3 cup)

6 kaffir lime leaves (1 tablespoon), torn with centre vein removed

2 tablespoons galangal sliced thin

1 tablespoon coriander roots, about 2 roots

2 tablespoons Thai shallots, sliced with skin removed (1-2 shallots)

8 cherry tomatoes halved

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup straw mushrooms, ends removed and halved

2 tablespoons (about 7) red medium-sized Thai chillies, smashed

4 or 6 medium-sized peeled prawns, whole

Pinch salt

1 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce (nam pla)

1 1/2 teaspoons roasted chilli paste

1 tablespoon lime juice (or more to taste)

1 tablespoon palm sugar

3 tablespoons coconut milk (*optional)

3 small dried chillies, roasted

1 tablespoon coriander chopped

Method

1. Prepare all the ingredients. Remove the outer layer of the lemongrass stalks and cut off the end. Cut into 1-2″ pieces and smash with the side of a heavy knife or pestle to release flavour. Tear the centre vein off the lime leaves. Slice your galangal into thin slices. Cut the tomatoes into halves. Peel the skin off the shallots and smash lightly. Clean your coriander roots well. Smash the fresh chillies with the back of a heavy knife, or in a mortar and pestle. If using fresh Thai straw mushrooms slice the bottoms off and cut in 1/2 lengthwise. Roast the dried chillies until fragrant and browned in a dry wok on medium heat
2. Clean the prawns by peeling off the backs and snapping off the heads but leaving the fat at base of the heads, this is very important, as that fat imparts a signature flavour into Tom Yum Goong. Then, shell prawns leavening the tails on. Set aside.
3. Boil the broth on high until it comes to a rapid boil. Add the lime leaves, lemongrass, coriander root, galangal and tomato. Boil for 4-5 minutes until the broth tastes herbal. If you’re using fresh ingredients, 4-5 minutes should be enough. In a separate pan, boil the mushrooms in plain water.
4. After boiling for 4-5 minutes, add a pinch of salt and the prawns. Strain the cooked mushrooms and add them to the soup as well. Cook until prawns turn pink, about a minute.
5. Add the fish sauce and remove from heat. You will now season the soup.
6. Add lime juice, sugar, chilli paste, smashed fresh chillies. Taste the soup to ensure the hot, sweet, sour and salty tastes are in balance – this is the essence of Thai cuisine. If adjust by adding sugar, lime juice or name pal as required.
7. If making the version with coconut milk: Add the coconut milk and dried chillies. If doing this step you’ll need to add a bit more lime juice and nam pla as the coconut tames it down a bit. Add about a teaspoon more of each.
8. Add coriander and serve. This soup is best served really hot!

Note

Thais do not fish out the parts of this soup you don't eat before serving - they know to avoid munching on the lemongrass stalks, galangal, cilantro root and lime leaves. If serving this to guests who are unfamiliar with Thai food, you may want to let them know what to eat and what not to eat, or fish out the herbs before serving.
Saves 2 Cooking time 10 to 15 minutes