HOW TO PREPARE TOM YUM GOONG.

Tom Yum Goong is a spicy and sour Thai soup with shrimp (goong). It’s one of Thailand’s most famous dishes and is noted for its bold flavors. Here’s how you can prepare it:

Ingredients:

Shrimp (goong) – 300g, peeled and deveined (keep the shells for the broth)
Lemongrass – 3 stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths and pounded
Galangal (blue ginger) – 5 slices
Kaffir lime leaves – 5-6, torn into pieces (remove the stem)
Thai bird’s eye chilies – 5-10, crushed (adjust according to your heat preference)
Cherry tomatoes – 5, halved
Oyster mushrooms – 200g, torn into edible sizes
Red onion – 1 small, quartered
Cilantro (coriander) – a handful, chopped
Fish sauce – 3 tablespoons
Lime juice – 3 tablespoons (adjust to taste)
Sugar – 1 tablespoon
Thai chili paste (nam prik pao) – 2 tablespoons (optional for color and extra flavor)
Water – 4 cups
Coconut milk – 1/2 cup (optional, if you want to make it creamy)
Instructions:

Making the Broth:

In a pot, add 4 cups of water and shrimp shells. Boil for about 10-15 minutes. This will give a nice shrimp flavor to your broth.
Strain out the shrimp shells, leaving the shrimp-flavored broth in the pot.
Infusing the Broth with Herbs:

Bring the shrimp broth to a boil and add lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves.
Boil these herbs for about 5-10 minutes to release their flavors into the broth.
Adding the Main Ingredients:

Add mushrooms, red onion, and tomatoes to the pot. Let them cook for a few minutes.
Add the shrimp to the boiling broth. They will turn pink and curl when cooked, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes.
Add the Thai chili paste (nam prik pao) if you’re using it.
Seasoning the Soup:

Add fish sauce, sugar, and crushed bird’s eye chilies to the soup. The chilies can be quite spicy, so add a few at a time and taste.
If you’re adding coconut milk for a creamier version (Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon), add it now and bring the soup back to a quick boil.
Finishing Touches:

Turn off the heat and add lime juice. Adjust the flavors as you like – it should be sour, salty, spicy, and a little sweet.
Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Serve the soup hot, and enjoy the vibrant flavors of Tom Yum Goong!