Introducing Pen

Pimpimol Samsalee, known to everyone as Pen, has been cooking for as long as she can remember. Back in her hometown in Thailand, her family owns a farm.

All the ingredients they need for cooking are right there on their doorstep. They raise chickens, ducks, and pigs. They have a wide selection of herbs like turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal – known as kha in Thai – which is one of the main ingredients of this dish. 

“My elder sister is the great cook in the family, but I do love cooking for my family and for myself,” says Pen. She laughs, “When I first met my husband, Tom, he didn’t used to like spicy food. Now, he and my 10-year-old son, Gus, can eat as much spice as I can!”

A brief history of tom kha gai

One of the most popular soups in Thai cuisine, it is also one of the easiest to make. Tom means boil, kha is galangal, and gai means chicken: the dish is cooked exactly as the name suggests, with everything boiled together. The resulting soup is light yet filling, tangy, creamy, and savoury, with a mild kick. 

Low in carbohydrates and high in lean protein from the chicken and mushrooms, this is a healthy and delicious soup suitable for any meal. The main herb, kha, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and the mild spiciness from the chilies can clear your sinuses in a flash.

Eat it with some fluffy steamed rice, your favourite salad, or on its own – it’s sure to satisfy your cravings.

Ingredients

• 500g chicken
• 200g white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 thumbs kha or galangal
• 3 shallots
• 5 pcs kaffir lime leaves
• 4 stalks lemongrass, cleaned and leaves cut off
• 1 lime
• ½ lemon
• 4 pcs chilli, cut lengthwise 
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 150ml coconut milk
• water
• salt

Method

1. Bring 700ml of water to a boil, then add shallots, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and kha. Cover and let boil for 2 minutes
2. Add chicken to the boiling herbal broth and let it cook for 5 minutes
3. Add coconut milk and lower heat. Add mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes
4. Add fish sauce, chillies, mushrooms and salt to taste
5. Remove from heat and squeeze in the lime and half a lemon
6. Serve while hot with optional steamed rice on the side