Northern Thailand Tum Yum Kung
The Thai cuisines preparation differ from one part to the other . ' Tum Yum Kung ' - the most famous Thai dish is one classic example . The Southern Thai preferred clear hot , spicy and sour soup , while the Northern includes fresh coconut milk and young coconut flesh into its rich tasty gravy . The basic soup is the Chicken stock . While chicken meat , prawn , seafoods with cauliflower and mushrooms are the common added ingredients . Simple and very spicy, the soup is eaten as entrees or as main dish with steamed rice .
The ingredients :
- Half a chicken - cut into very small pieces .
- 6 cloves of garlic - crushed
- 5 stalk of lemon grass - bruised
- 10 fresh bird eye chillies - crushed
- 5 kaffir lime leaves - roughly shredded
- 3 coriander roots - crushed
- 5 stalk of coriander leaves - sliced into an inch length
- 3 basil sprigs - roughly crushed
- 2 whole yellow onions - ring sliced
- 2 whole tomatoes - quartered
- A small bowl of shredded young coconut flesh
- 5 young baby corn - quartered / thinly sliced
- 10 oyster mushrooms - roughly shredded
- a quarter of a cauliflower - sliced thinly
- 250 ml fresh thick coconut milk
- 250 ml thick tamarind juice
- fresh lime juice from 5 limes
- 3 tablespoon of fish sauce
- salt and palm sugar to taste
To make the soup
To make the stock, boil the chopped chicken,with 500 ml of water, garlic, lemon grass, the coriander roots and the basil sprigs. Once the chicken is tender add the chilies with the sliced coconut flesh and tamarind juice. Stir. Bring to a boil over low heat. Once boiled, add the baby corn and the cauliflower. Leave until the veges cook. Mix in the coconut milk,coriander leaves, the kaffir leaves,the tomatoes and the sliced onions. Season with enough salt and palm sugar. Add the fish sauce and the lime juice. Stir. Make sure the sweet and sour taste are balanced before you turn off the heat and serve.Since using the young coconut flesh will enhance its natural sweetness therefore you may omit the palm sugar.
 The White Tom Yum Kung |  The young coconut flesh - part of the ingredients |
