Putting the 'Yum' in the Tom Yum

Thai cuisine--this is what put Thailand on the map. Those aromatic, sour and spicy dishes that will either make you 'ahhh' or 'ooh'. Indeed, it is one of my most favorite cuisines. One well-loved dish is the Tom Yum Goong. It is a famous sour soup of the Thailanders. And for years, it had been a mystery for me how this red-orangey-and-amazingly-flavorul-and-fragrant soup was made, until--Bobby Chinn cooked it on his show. And good lord, this meal can be prepared in 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

6 Prawns / Big Shrimps (for a cheaper alternative)

Smashed Galangal / Ginger

Smashed Lemon Grass

Chopped Red Chillies

Thai Chili Paste

Sliced Shiitake Mushroom 

Coriander

4 tablespoons of lime/calamansi juice

Coconut Milk

2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce

Procedure

1. In preparing the prawn stock, slice off the prawn/shrimp heads. Set aside the rest of the prawns/shrimps. Now get a cooking pot and fill it with at least 2-3 cups of water. Put in the heads and let it come to a boil.

2. Put in the smashed lemon grass, galangal or ginger and red chillies.

3. Leave it boiling for about 2minutes.

4. Add in the Thai Chilli paste. This chilli paste is a little bit sour, salty, sweet and spicy. So the measurement depends on how you want your soup to taste and depends on the serving you are preparing. However for this specific serving, I'd say 2-3 spoonfuls of the chilli paste would do. 

*A brand suggestion would be Pantai. It is available in both SM and Landmark supermarkets. Choose the chilli paste variant.

5. Put in the prawns and mushrooms. 

6. Add the fish sauce.

7. Add the lime or calamansi juice. Let it cook for 3 minutes.

8. Add the coriander.

9. And finally add a little of coconut milk (just enough to make it red-orangey).

*Tip: If the dish is too spicy, you may add a little of brown sugar.

And--this is how you put the yum in the Tom Yum. :)

Flavorful and aromatic. Prepared and cooked in about 10minutes.