Tom Kha Gai (Filipino Version)

I first tried this dish when my friend, Den, came home from Dubai for his 2-week vacation. This is one of his favorite dishes. I promised i would learn how to make it so here we are - a month later after he left for Dubai. Haha! Sorry Den!

I kinda messed this one up. Kinda. The recipe called for limes (for the sour component) but i forgot to include it in the grocery list. Silly me. So i decided to improvise. Thus coming up with its "Filipino Version". Surprisingly it tasted just the same as the one we had at Songkran.

Here's what you'll need:

1 can of sodium-free chicken broth (roughly 2 cups)

1 can of coconut milk

3-4 pieces of skinless chicken breast fillet, cut into bite size

1 stalk of lemongrass, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces

5 dried kaffir lime leaves

1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced

2 small chilies, sliced

1 can of straw mushroom, halved

1/4 cup fish sauce

3 calamansi, juiced

a pinch to 1/2 teaspoon of tamarind soup powder (depending on how sour you want this to be)

Pour chicken broth and bring to a boil. You should be left with only half or a little more than half of the original content. At this point lower the heat and add the coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves to the broth. Let it simmer until aromatic. Add the chicken and mushroom. Let it sit until chicken is cooked. Make sure it doesn't boil up though. Add the calamansi juice, fish sauce, chilies and tamarind soup powder (i used about 3-4 pinches). Mix well util all the flavors are incorporated. Serve while hot. 

Enjoy!