Tom Yam Kung soup: a combination of bitter, spicy, sweet, sour and salty in one plate

Most tourists visiting Thailand are delighted with the country's exotic cuisine. In one plate you can find combinations of bitter, spicy, sweet, sour and salty. This effect is achieved through the use of a variety of herbs, spices and sauces. You definitely will not stay hungry in this country. One gets the impression that Thais are obsessed with food. They prepare their meals everywhere and around the clock.

My first acquaintance with Thai cuisine began with Tom Yam soup. There is a lot of endless controversy surrounding this dish, especially the use of coconut milk. I am not an expert in this area, but there are actually many options and each of them has a place to be. In Thai cuisine, there are no hard and fast rules and restrictions, the dishes are prepared at the discretion of the chef and depend on his own taste.

To make Tom Yam Kung soup, you will need a set of products that are not quite familiar to us. They can be found in large chain stores. Sometimes it is possible to purchase ready-made sets. It's harder to find chili jam, which is sweet and tangy and contains shrimp paste. But you can cook it yourself or use a ready-made soup base, as I did.

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Tom Yam Kung is the simplest version of the soup, without the use of coconut milk.

Ingredients:

Water - 1.5 liters

Unpeeled shrimp - 1 kg.

Galangal root - 5 cm.

Kafir lime leaves - 5 pcs.

Lemon sorghum - 5 stalks

Chili pepper - 3 pcs.

Mushrooms - 250 grams

Tomatoes - 5 pcs.

Cilantro - 1 bunch

Fish sauce - 1 tbsp

Chili pasta - 3 tablespoons

Lime - 1 pc.

Course of action:

I prepare the necessary products. I defrost frozen shrimps. They are unpeeled - shells and heads will be used for making broth.

Instead of champignons, you can use other mushrooms.

I cleanse the shrimp, remembering to remove the intestinal vein.

I fill the shrimp shells and heads with water, put the pan on the fire. Cook for 15 minutes over low heat.

While the broth is cooking, I prepare the rest of the products. I beat off the lemon sorghum to create more flavor and cut it into 4 cm cubes.

I peel the galangal root and cut into thin slices.

I cut tomatoes in arbitrary pieces.

I cut the chili pepper in half lengthwise. I prudently remove the seeds. If you like it more sharply, you can leave them.

I cut the mushrooms into quarters.

I filter the finished broth through a sieve. I remove all the shrimp remains, they are no longer needed.

I add lemongrass, galangal root, kafir lime leaves, chili peppers and cilantro stalks to the strained broth (I leave the leaves for decoration). Cook for another 3-5 minutes.

After boiling, it is logical to remove this entire set from the broth, since in the future it is not suitable for eating. But in the authentic version, all these components are present in the dish, perhaps for clarity, so I also leave them.

Then I put mushrooms, tomatoes and shrimps. Bring to a boil and add the chili paste. I cook for another 2-3 minutes.

I regulate the salt balance with the help of fish sauce. I squeeze the juice of one lime into a saucepan. I bring the soup to a boil and remove it from the heat.

Serve Tom Yam Kung soup sprinkled with cilantro leaves.

The country can be understood by getting acquainted with its national cuisine. Prepare Tom Yam. Experience a pleasant experience of the national cuisine of the Kingdom of Thailand.