Passport & Plate 2015

Passport & Plate - Hot and Sour Soup Local Style (Tom Sab)

Thailand | Saturday, February 28, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
1 stalk lemongrass smashed and chopped in half
1-2 slices galangal-thinly sliced
2-3 kaffir lime leaves torn quarter
2-3 chilies -smashed
1-2 mushrooms-bite sized
3-4 shallots
50 g chopped chicken
Seasoning
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
Garnish
Sweet basil- torn
Hot basil-torn
Lime slice

How to prepare this recipe
1.Heat the water in pot over high heat just until boiling
2.Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chilies. cook 2-3min.
3. Add chicken cook till turns white.
4.Add all veg cook 2-3 min.
5.Over low heat add sugar fish sauce and lime juice
6. Garnish with a few leaves of hot basil and sweet basil and a slice of lime.
7. Enjoy

The story behind this recipe
My recipe's story being on my first trip abroad: four weeks in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Of course, being the major foodie that I am, I just knew that I would have to take a Thai cooking class as this would be a huge bucket list item for me.Upon arrival in Chiang Mai, I was awe-struck by all of the wonderfully appealing dishes being prepared in the many colourful markets around the city as well as the wonderful smells. It didn't take me long to dig into these delectable frills. Not one food stall was alike! I knew upon coming here that Thailand had amazing world-renowned food. However what astonished me the most was the endless variations of these foods, such as Tom Sab (a spicy and sour soup). After spending countless hours wandering around the markets, I just knew I would have to book that cooking class soon as a trip to Thailand wouldn't be complete without learning how to prepare some of these cultural meals, not just for me to know but to share with others back home.I booked a full day cooking class at Asia Scenic Cooking School and learned how to prepare several different dishes. Of course, me being me, I had to capture all the food we made on my camera (next to capturing it in my belly, of course!) I chose to share a soup called Tom Sab, the reason being because I was the only one in my group who chose to make that particular soup. I feel this dish perfectly captures Thailand and made be feel adventurous for trying it. Although the soup is both spicy and sour, it really is quite easy to make. One thing that I loved about making this dish is that you can fit it to suit your own palette. Whether you're into a spicier recipe (just add chillies) or into a less spicy one (add more lime juice), this recipe varies from chef to chef as is with many Thai recipes. I hope you will enjoy this wonderful simple Thai recipe (or as my instructor called it "sexy soup") from the Asia Scenic Cooking School.