Tom yum

2 servings

60 minutes

Tom yum is perhaps the only Thai dish that has become a must-have item on the menu of any city restaurant with so-called comfort food. One can only guess why. Either because of the popularity of Thai resorts among our compatriots , or because the sour and spicy taste turned out to be close to us, or because of its ability to transform from a rich meat dish into a light vegetarian or gourmet fish dish. Maxim Kuleshov, chef and co-owner of the restaurant "Ya v Tai", chef of the bar "Teburasika" of the gastrobar "Vkustakh", shared the recipe with us

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 630.8
• Proteins: 40.2g
• Fats: 28g
• Carbohydrates: 47.1g

Ingredients

• Galangal: 20 g
• Ginger: 20 g
• Lemongrass: 20 g
• Garlic: 20 g
• Lime leaves: 6 pc
• Coconut milk: 200 ml
• Tom yum paste: 100 g
• Water: 800 ml
• Tamarind paste: 20 g
• Palm sugar: 20 g
• Fish sauce: 10 ml
• Seafood: 400 g
• Oyster mushrooms: 100 g
• Tomatoes: 1 pc
• Thai hot pepper bird's eye: 1 pc
• Lemon juice: to taste
• Rice: to taste

Cooking steps

1. Pour water into the pot and place it on the fire. You can use any broth instead of water. Chop the galangal and ginger, smash them with a knife, and add to the pot.

   Required ingredients:

   • Galangal: 20 g
   • Ginger: 20 g

2. Smash lemongrass with a knife and chop it. Peel the garlic and crush the cloves with a knife. Tear the kaffir lime leaves by hand. Put everything in a pot.

   Required ingredients:

   • Lemongrass: 20 g
   • Garlic: 20 g
   • Lime leaves: 6 pieces

3. At this moment, coconut milk can be added. Bring the entire mixture to a boil. The milk and water should become a homogeneous mass.

   Required ingredients:

   • Coconut milk: 200 ml
   • Water: 800 ml

4. Add tom yum paste to the soup and stir. Tom yum paste is an acidic medium. If added to the broth and then milk is poured in, it will curdle. Therefore, it should only be added afterwards.

   Required ingredients:

   • Tom yum paste: 100 g

5. Add tamarind paste, palm sugar, salt to taste, and most importantly - fish sauce.

   Required ingredients:

   • Tamarind paste: 20 g
   • Palm sugar: 20 g
   • Fish sauce: 10 ml

6. Strain the broth. The base for tom yum is ready. Broth cannot be frozen; it will separate after thawing. However, it can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days. Put the broth back on the stove.

7. Add seafood and boil for a minute. Then add finely chopped oyster mushrooms to the soup. Boil for another minute.

   Required ingredients:

   • Seafood: 400 g
   • Oyster mushrooms: 100 g

8. Add chopped cilantro and coarsely chopped tomatoes. To make the soup spicier, add a bit of bird's eye chili. You can also add some freshly squeezed lemon juice if you lack lemon aroma and acidity. Tom Yum is usually served with boiled rice to tone down the spiciness. It also acts as a sort of scrub, cleansing our throat from spicy food particles. Plus, rice is a kind of Asian bread.

   Required ingredients:

   • Tomatoes: 1 piece
   • Thai hot pepper bird's eye: 1 piece
   • Lemon juice:  to taste
   • Rice:  to taste