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You are here: Home / All Recipes / Tom Kha Pla (Thai Fish Coconut Cream Soup)

Tom Kha Pla (Thai Fish Coconut Cream Soup)

The fish version of tom kha gai, Thai fish coconut milk soup, or tom kha pla, is similarly cooked and seasoned with lemongrass, galangal, chilies, kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce.

Thai Fish Coconut Milk Soup (Tom Kha Pla) Served with Kaffir Lime Wedges

Tips for the coconut cream:

  1. If using freshly grated coconut (should be mature, of course), squeeze the coconut without adding water to get pure coconut cream.
  2. If using canned coconut milk, chill unopened in the fridge for a few hours. Open the can and scoop out the thick cream that floats on top. Use that and discard the liquid underneath.
  3. If using powdered, dissolve in the least amount of water to make coconut cream.

Tom Kha Pla (Thai Fish Coconut Cream Soup)

Recipe by Connie Veneracion
For best results, buy a whole fish and have it filleted by the monger. Bring home everything and use the head and bones to make the broth and strain. Cooking time will be longer, for sure, but you'll get the richest flavors.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 people
Thai Fish Coconut Milk Soup (Tom Kha Pla)
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

For the spice base

  • 4 slices galangal (rehydrated if using dried)
  • ¼ cup sliced lemongrass (lower portion of the stalk only)
  • 2 pairs kaffir lime leaves ribs removed
  • 2 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 bird’s eye chili (add another for more heat)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander roots and stems
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar dissolved in a teaspoon of water to make a paste

To make the soup

  • 4 cups fish broth
  • 1 plump tomato diced
  • 1 whole stalk lemongrass tied into a knot
  • fish sauce to taste
  • 2 cups coconut cream
  • 500 grams fish fillets thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup lime juice

To serve

  • cilantro
  • lime wedges

Instructions
 

  • Grind all the solid ingredients in the spice base list. Pour in the fish sauce and diluted coconut sugar slowly to make grinding easier. You don't need to make a paste. You just want to pound everything to small pieces.
    Spices for making the soup base for tom kha pla
  • Heat the fish broth in a pot, stir in the spice base, tomato, tied lemongrass and fish sauce to taste. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes.
  • Slowly pour in the coconut cream and stir. Taste and add more fish sauce, as needed.
    Adding coconut cream to spices in broth to make Thai fish coconut milk soup
  • Bring to a gentle boil and allow to cook, uncovered, for five minutes.
  • Stir in the fish slices and cook for another five minutes.
    Slices of fish fillet for tom kha pla (Thai fish coconut cream soup)
  • Taste the broth, add more fish sauce, if needed, before stirring in the lime juice.
  • Serve your tom kha pla garnished with cilantro.
Keyword coconut milk, Fish
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Published: April 23, 2021 • Last modified: November 10, 2021 ♥ All Recipes, Seafood, Soups, Southeast Asian Food, Thai
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