TOM YUM GOONG

       Tom Yum Goong(Prawns) is one of the best SOUPS ever.  This fiery, flavour filled and aromatic Soup is so heartwarming and contenting, that I & my husband love to have this dish.  What I love most about this soup is the flavours of the herbs and spices that brighten up the taste buds instantly and what my husband likes about it, is its fiery nature along with its sour-flavoured base.
     But the irony is that I used to hate this soup once.  It was because one of our friends bought this soup while I was down with Viral fever, and he said this soup is very good to have when we are sick, as it's very light to our stomach and it rejuvenates our senses with its aromatic herbs and condiments.  But I couldn't even mouth a spoonful then.  And all the more we were quite sceptical to eat Thai Food when we travelled to Thailand then... We always say that we have to travel again to Thailand just for the food. We gradually fell in love with Thai Food and it has become one of my favourite cuisines.
          'Tom' means Boiling and 'Yum" means Spicy and Sour Mix in Thai. Traditionally Tom Yum Paste is prepared by grinding all the herbs and spices and then stir frying it in oil until the raw flavours are removed and the wonderful aroma of the herbs emanates.  I still have to learn to make this paste.  I prepare this with store-bought Thai Chilli Paste/Tom Yum Paste.
     As far as Tom Yum, the soup is served with any one of these items such as Prawns, Fish, Seafood, Chicken or Pork.  Some versions also use Oyster Mushrooms/Straw Mushrooms in their soup.     Tom Yum Goong is one main version made with PRAWNS(Goong).  Tom Yum Soup is prepared basically in two distinct variations, one in a clear broth called 'TOM YUM NAM SAI' and the other one in a creamy milky base called 'TOM YUM NAM KHON'.  I usually prepare Tom Yum in the second method as I feel the soup is rich and tastier like this and mainly the creaminess slightly subtle down the fiery nature and the sourness of the soup. But the secret behind this creamy version is that they use evaporated milk, contrary to what we think, that it is coconut milk.

Cuisine : Thai
Course : Side Dish; Soup
Spicy Level  : Spicy
Difficulty : Medium
Serves :3- 4
Author : SM

Preparation Time - 10 - 15 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 -30 Minutes

 

INGREDIENTS :

For Clear Version :

Water - 11/2 Ltrs
Shrimps - 300 Gms
Straw/Oyster Mushrooms - 150 Gms
Carrots - Few Slices
Onions - 2 Nos.
Garlic - 6 Cloves
Thai/Bird's-eye Chillies - 6-8 Nos.
Tomatoes - 2 Nos.
Lemongrass - 2 Stalks
Kaffir Lime Leaves - 8 Leaves
Galangal - 11/2"
Thai Chilli Paste / Tom Yum Paste - 2 Tbspns
Fish Sauce - 5 Tbspns
Lime Juice - 6 Tbspns
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - 1 Tspn

To Garnish :

Coriander Leaves - Few
Scallions - Few
Thai/Bird's-eye Chillies - 2-3 Nos.(Optional)

For Creamy Version :

Evaporated Milk - 5-6 Tbspns
Thai Chilli Paste - 1 Tbspn
Lime Juice - 2 Tbspn
Salt - To Taste.

METHOD :

For Clear Version - 'TOM YUM NAM SAI'

• Boil the water in a large Sauce Pot.
• Slightly pound the Lemongrass, remove the outer leaves and just use the white part of it.
• Remove the centre rib and thinly Slice Kaffir Lime Leaves.
  Peel and thinly slice Galangal.
• Add the above ingredients along with thinly sliced Garlic and Thai/Bird's-eye Chillies into the boiling water.
• Cover the pot and leave this on a medium flame for about 10-15 minutes.
• Add Thai Chilli Paste/Tom Yum Paste to the water and allow it to boil.
• Peel, De-vein and Clean the Shrimps and add them to the boiling water.
• Add Mushrooms, Carrot Slices, Thinly sliced Onions and Tomatoes to the Soup.
• Leave this on a low flame for about 5 minutes.
• Add Fish Sauce, Salt, sugar and mix well and boil it for another minute or two.
• Switch off the flame and pour in the Lime Juice and mix well.
• Before serving Tom Yum Goong, garnish it with  Coriander Leaves and Scallions.
• Goes well with Thai Jasmine/Fragrant Rice and variety of Thai Dishes.
• Can serve Tom Yum Goong as a Soup too. 
• This way its the Clear version of Tom Yum - 'TOM YUM NAM SAI'

For Creamy Version - 'TOM YUM NAM KHON'

• Cook as per the method mentioned in 'For Clear Version' with an extra Tablespoon of Thai Chilli Paste/Tom Yum Paste.
• Finally, pour in the Evaporated Milk and leave it on low flame for a minute.
• Adjust the amount of Fish Sauce and Lime Juice to your taste.
• Check for taste and adjust the amount of Salt and Sugar too.
• Adjust and add these ingredients to get a Creamy version of Tom Yum Goong - 'TOM YUM NAM KHON'

NOTES :

• Tom Yum Goong should be slightly Sour, so adjust the amount of Fish Sauce, Salt, Sugar and Lime Juice to your taste preference.
• Prawns, Mushrooms, Onions and Tomatoes shouldn't be overcooked in Tom Yum.
• Add the garnishes just before serving to retain the fresh taste of the ingredients.
• Instead of Shrimps, can serve this soup with Chicken, Fish, Sea Food, Port or Vegetables like Mushrooms, Carrot and Cauliflower.
• In the creamy version, add more Thai Chilli Paste, Lime Juice and Fish Sauce, as the creaminess of the evaporated milk will subtle down the sourness and fiery nature of the dish. 
• For a spicier version of Tom Yum Goong, garnish with more Thai/Birds-eye Chillies.