Tom Yum Kung Recipe

Tom Yum Kung is a Thai spicy soup with lemongrass and other herbs. This soup is very good nutrition. The right flavour is spicy and sour.

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken stock
250 g shrimps/prawns,shelled and divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 leaves kaffir lime leaves
3 slices fresh or dried galangal (Kha) 1/4 cup fish sauce
2 stalks lemon grass/citronella (ta-krai), lower1/3 portion only, cut into 1-inch (2.3 cm) lengths
5 hot green Thai chilli peppers (can be less if you are not familiar with spicy taste)
1/2 cup sliced straw mushrooms
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon chilli paste (nam phrik pao - can be found in asian stores)
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Cooking:

Bring the stock to a boil over medium heat. Add the garlic, lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce, lemon grass, and shallots, then the mushrooms and chilli peppers, if using.Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp and reheat to boiling. Cook until the shrimps are pink,opaque, and firm but no longer than 1 minute.
When the shrimps are cooked, place the lime juice and chilli paste in a serving bowl.
Pour the soup into the bowl, stir, and garnish with cilantro leaves.
Tips:

You can add 1/2 cup of cream in step 2 to make this soup creamy and milder in taste. A bit of sugar (1 t.sp.) can be added if you want.