Tom kha talay

Method

1. 1 Simmer coconut milk with crushed lemongrass, thick slices of galangal, and Thai lime leaves for 10 minutes.
2. 2 Tom kha uses more galangal and coconut milk, unlike tom yum which is clear and intensely sour.
3. 3 Simmer over low heat and avoid letting the coconut milk boil vigorously; strong boiling will cause the coconut milk to separate from the oil.
4. 4 Add the straw mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
5. 5 Add the squid and shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until just cooked.
6. 6 Add fish sauce, then turn off the heat. Squeeze in lemon juice and add crushed chili peppers after the heat has been turned off.

With an appliance

• Microwave 29 min

  Replace steps 1, 4–5: simmer coconut milk with lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves at 700W for 7 minutes, add mushrooms for 2 minutes, then seafood for 90 seconds; reduce to about 6 minutes, medium power to keep the coconut milk from boiling vigorously, minimize oil separation, and prevent shrimp and squid from becoming tough; only stir once. Add lime after turning off the heat in step 6.