Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and deeply bruised
- 25 g fresh galangal, thinly sliced
- 4 makrut lime leaves, torn
Liquids and Seasonings
- 500 ml vegetable broth, low-sodium preferred
- 400 ml coconut milk, full-fat, unsweetened
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 15 g palm sugar, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 232 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 746 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 296 mg
- Calcium
- 28 mg
- Iron
- 4.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 56 mg
- Phosphorus
- 100 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 18 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 339 mg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 14 mcg
- Water
- 202 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a meat mallet or the heavy handle of a chef's knife, aggressively crush the lemongrass stalks to release their essential oils. Tear the makrut lime leaves slightly to expose their fragrant edges.
Combine the vegetable broth, bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal, and torn lime leaves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer at 95 degrees C or 203 degrees F, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes to extract the deep aromatic flavors.
Uncover the saucepan and pour in the full-fat coconut milk, fish sauce, and chopped palm sugar. Maintain a very gentle simmer at 85 degrees C or 185 degrees F for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let the mixture reach a rapid boil, or the coconut milk may curdle.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour the infused stock through a fine mesh strainer into a clean heatproof container, pressing lightly on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the spent aromatics.
Chef's Notes
- Galangal is piney, citrusy, and earthy, quite different from ginger which is primarily pungent and spicy. If you must substitute ginger, use half the amount and add a strip of lime zest to approximate the missing citrus notes.
- Bruising the lemongrass is non-negotiable. The tough cellular walls must be crushed to release the citronella and aromatic oils directly into the liquid matrix.
- For a richer mouthfeel and more decadent base, use coconut cream instead of coconut milk, or a combination of both depending on how robust your final dish will be.
- Palm sugar provides a deep, rounded, caramel-like sweetness that specifically counterbalances the intense savory salinity of the fish sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The coconut fat will solidify on top; stir vigorously when reheating.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in usable portions. The emulsion may break upon thawing but will easily come together when heated and stirred.
Reheating: Warm gently over low heat, stirring constantly. Do not bring to a rolling boil.
Troubleshooting
The stock looks grainy or the coconut fat has separated from the liquid.
Cause: The coconut milk was boiled too vigorously, causing the proteins to coagulate and the emulsion to break.
Fix: Blend the finished, strained stock with an immersion blender for 30 seconds to force the fat and liquid back into a temporary emulsion.
Prevention: Keep the heat low and maintain only a very gentle simmer once the coconut milk has been introduced to the pot.
Cultural Context
This stock forms the foundational flavor profile for Tom Kha, one of Thailand's most famous and beloved soups. The interplay of rich coconut milk cut by sharp galangal, fragrant lemongrass, and salty fish sauce perfectly embodies the Thai culinary philosophy of balancing contrasting flavors. Historically, the high fat content in the coconut milk served to mellow the intense heat of accompanying chilies while efficiently carrying the fat-soluble flavor compounds of the fresh herbs.
