Thai cuisine, part 1. Basic ingredients, classic tom yum and two more recipes

Tom Yam paste is a spicy chili pepper paste widely used in Thai cuisine. It is best known as the basis for preparing the most famous and popular Thai dish - Tom Yam soup, although it can be used in the preparation of other dishes.

Tom Yam paste is sold in every supermarket in Thailand, but in Russian stores you can’t find it everywhere. It is mainly found in large chain supermarkets in the exotic cuisine departments, but the prices for it are high. However, this is not a problem, and you can prepare it yourself, and no exotic products are required for this, and the manufacturing process is not at all complicated. So, here is one of the recipes for making Tom Yam paste:

Attention!

Be careful when preparing the paste, as it contains hot chili peppers: do not rub your eyes and delicate areas of the skin with your hands, wash the dishes and hands thoroughly.

What you need

To prepare pasta you need:

4-5 pieces of chili pepper or other hot pepper, which you will find in our stores or on the market, or you can grow in your country house or windowsill.
4-5 cloves fresh garlic
1 head of shallot varnish. Shallots can be replaced with regular onions, but it is advisable to choose one that is not very bitter
A piece of ginger 2-3 centimeters long. You don’t have to add ginger to the paste, but in this case you will need to remember to add it to the Tom Yum soup when cooking
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cooking Tom Yam paste, recipe

To prepare the paste you will need a frying pan and a blender. Prepare the ingredients in advance: chop the onion and garlic as finely as possible, peel and grate the ginger. Peel the peppers from the stem and seeds, then finely chop. Then start cooking:

Pour 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the frying pan (as the paste cooks, you can add more oil if it seems too thick). When the oil is hot, add chopped garlic to the pan. The garlic should fry until golden brown, which will take no more than a minute. Remove the garlic from the oil and place it separately.
Throw pre-chopped onions into the same oil. It also needs to be kept until golden brown, and then caught and put together with the garlic.
Add the chopped peppers again to the same oil, fry them a little (about 1 minute), and then throw the previously fried garlic and onions into the frying pan. You can also add grated ginger if you decide to cook the paste with it. Keep the mixture on the fire for several minutes, stirring constantly (don't forget to add a little oil if the mixture is too thick), then remove from the heat.
Grind everything that comes out in the frying pan in a blender or in another way (keep in mind that you will have to wash the blender cup many times later).
The pasta is ready!

The paste should be thick and not run off or run off the spoon. If you don't succeed the first time, try again, changing the proportions to your taste.

The prepared pasta does not spoil and can be stored in the refrigerator for several months, although over time its pungency and “aroma” decrease. To prepare Tom Yum soup, you can safely use the paste prepared according to our recipe, adding one and a half to two tablespoons for two servings of Tom Yam. Well, about the recipe for Tom Yum soup here.

Step-by-step recipe with photos

Cooking any tom yam begins with preparing the broth, which you boil with spices. The broth can be chicken, fish or vegetable. If you prefer tom yam with chicken broth, you can make it from bouillon cubes, or use canned one. Pour the broth into the pan. Bring to a boil.

Where to put it: washed, peeled and cut into rings ginger root, lemongrass, chili pepper cut into random shapes, peeled shallots, you don’t have to cut them if you have small onions, lime and of course salt to taste. Boil for 15 minutes over high heat. Remove and let it sit for about two hours.

In the prepared and infused broth, add tom yum paste according to the instructions on the package, washed and halved cherry tomatoes, tomato paste and tom yum pepper paste.

Pour in the fish sauce; by the way, sauces come in different salinities, so don’t pour too much at once. Taste and add more if necessary. You can also add a little finely grated lime zest.

Next, take care of the shrimp (you can also add various seafood to this pit). Rinse them thoroughly under running water, do not tear off the head or remove the shell. Remove the digestive tract.

Add the shrimp to the pan with all the ingredients already there. And add more lime leaves. Cook for 5 minutes until the shrimp turn red.

Try the soup, it should be sweet, sour and spicy. But everyone’s tastes are different, so try it during the cooking process, if you are missing something, add salt, fish sauce, lime juice, maybe even sugar to your taste. Delicious tom yum soup with tomato paste is ready. Pour into plates. Serve with lime wedges. Bon appetit.

Ingredients

The most difficult thing in preparing Tom Yam soup in Russian cuisine is finding all the necessary ingredients, because most of them are exotic. But today most of them can be bought in large supermarkets, or ordered online. Some products can be replaced with more familiar and common ones in our stores. So, here's what you'll need to prepare:

Ingredients for Tom Yum soup

Tom Yam paste is the basis of the soup. We have already written above where to get it or how to prepare it yourself.
Lemongrass (lemongrass, lemongrass) – stems (about 1 cm in diameter) are green or straw-colored with a lemon smell. Sometimes found in large supermarkets, usually in the vegetable and herb section, packaged. If you don’t find it, you can do without it by replacing it with lemon grass, lemon or lime peel, lemon leaves or kaffir leaves. Of course, lemongrass gives a special lemon aroma, and this is one of the main exotic ingredients, but without it the soup is also quite edible.
Galangal (galangal, galangal, galangal) is a type of ginger that has a pungent taste and a tougher structure than ginger. It is not found here, but can be easily replaced with regular ginger. You can use either fresh ginger or dried or ground ginger from a bag. You can buy dried galangal in supermarkets and Asian markets and bring it home; in this form it can be stored for several years.
Kaffir - dark green leaves from the lime tree, specially grown for its leaves only. Adds another hint of lemon flavor to the soup. Also not found in Russia, but you can replace it with regular lemon leaves or grow an indoor tree from a lime seed from the supermarket.
Cilantro (coriander) or eryngium or fragrant eryngium. These are greens that are added to ready-made soup and add a pleasant aroma. You can easily find cilantro in our stores, and even grow it in your dacha or windowsill. But eryngium (odorous eryngium) is rare, so if you don’t find it, it’s okay. Besides, not even every chef in Thailand uses it.
Fish sauce. It is used to impart a specific smell, and also instead of salt. It has an extremely specific smell on its own, but in dishes its smell and taste are wonderful. It is quite possible to find it in our large supermarkets in the exotic cuisine section. In extreme cases, you can replace it with soy sauce.
Straw mushrooms. Replaced with champignons, oyster mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms (all sold in our supermarkets).
Coconut milk (or coconut cream). An optional ingredient added to make a milder-tasting version of the soup, intended more for Europeans. If you want, you can completely replace it with regular cream or milk, or do without this ingredient altogether. If you do want to make soup with coconut milk, you can buy coconut or coconut cream in a bag at a large supermarket.
Chicken meat. Chicken meat itself is not a necessary ingredient, but the broth is prepared on its basis. Usually replaced with chicken bouillon cubes, which are sold in every supermarket.
Shrimp and other seafood (squid, scallops, octopus, etc.). It is best to use king prawns, or any other larger ones.
Lime juice. Can be replaced with lemon juice.

Additional ingredients that can be added to the soup to improve the taste

Chilli. Hot pepper is added to taste and gives the soup a lively, fresh taste. It is not necessary to add it, since it is already in the pasta, but if you want to improve the taste of the soup, you can add it. You can replace it with any other hot pepper, but be careful not to overdo it. And be sure to clean it of seeds before cooking.
Tomatoes. They improve the taste of the soup if added at the last moment of cooking. It is better to peel the tomato.
Onion. A small onion, cut in half, can be thrown into the soup at the very last moment before removing from the heat.
Garlic. One slice can be added to taste at the very beginning of cooking. A clove of garlic needs to be placed on a board and crushed, but so that it does not fall apart.
Green onions. Chopped green onion stems can be added to the soup along with the cilantro before serving.

As you can see, the ingredients are quite specific, but all of them can be replaced. Of course, the replacement will not improve the taste of the dish, but it is quite possible. You can bring original ingredients from Thailand itself or neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, where they are sold in local markets or supermarkets. The prices for them there are simply cheap (1 kg of lemongrass on the market, for example, costs 1-2 dollars).

Tom yum recipe with tom yum paste

The constant component of Tom Yam soup is paste. You can prepare it yourself or buy it at any grocery store.

Ingredients

Red chili pepper – 2 pcs.
Garlic – 5 teeth
ginger root – 1 pc.
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Lemon zest – 2 tbsp
Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tbsp

Step-by-step cooking process at home

Prepare the ingredients. This photo shows the ingredients for the complete preparation of Tom Yum soup (and not just for the paste). The recipe for making soup with this pasta is here .

Take the garlic and peel it. Next, cut it into small slices.

Wash the chili pepper well under running water and cut into small rings.

Place the garlic slices in a small frying pan with hot vegetable oil and fry them for 1-2 minutes.

Don’t forget to stir the garlic while stewing.

Take 1 lemon and rub its skin on a fine grater.

It is necessary to rub carefully, without touching the white pulp.

Place the fried garlic strips and chili peppers in a blender bowl and grind.

Then they need to be placed in a frying pan with hot vegetable oil. To these should be added grated lemon zest and ginger, all the sugar and lemon or lime juice. Mix everything well and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. The sauce must be stirred constantly. Next, place the sauce in a blender bowl and grind until mushy. As a result, we got an excellent paste, which is the main component of the Thai Tom Yum soup.

How to replace seasoning for tom yam

The set of spices for tom yum soup is small. However, it is not always possible to purchase original seasonings. We will probably not be able to reproduce the classic taste of such a dish as it is prepared in Taiwan, but we can try.

When choosing spices, you can most accurately replicate the taste if you use the following rules:

Forest mushrooms should not be taken. It is better to give preference to oyster mushrooms and champignons. Lime can be replaced with lemon.
Kaffir lime or wood leaves are replaced with bay leaves, but no more than 1 piece is added. Galangal is replaced with ginger root.
From a distance, a small amount of lemon zest may resemble lemongrass (lemongrass).
Fish and soy sauces cannot be replaced. However, these ingredients are already available anywhere in the world.
Chili pepper, if the heat is contraindicated, you can reduce the dosage and take half the paprika. Coke milk is diluted with cream 1:1 or completely replaced with cream.
For those who don’t like it, it’s quite possible not to use green cilantro, but parsley, dill and basil will not spoil the dish.

Seasonings play a major role in tom soup. By carefully selecting them you can achieve an unforgettable taste and aroma.

General recommendations for preparing Tom Yum soup

According to Thai astrologer Prayon Uroshat, Tom Yum soup appeared in the 18th century. Tom Yam was considered a royal dish, and each Thai bride had her own unique recipe for its preparation. Gradually, the recipe for Thai soup became known far beyond Thailand. In the beginning, dried fish was added to it, but with the advent of a large number of seafood, it was replaced with shrimp.

The main ingredients of the soup were galantal (a Thai root that tastes like ginger), lime leaves, lemongrass and chili pepper. Coconut milk is an optional ingredient in the soup, as are soy sauce and mushrooms.

To prepare Tom Yam, Chinese straw mushrooms are used, but they are replaced with shiitake mushrooms, milk mushrooms and mushrooms. In Thailand, kaffir lime is used to make soup; it is replaced with lemon or lime.

To prepare the classic recipe, you need the following components:

large shrimp;
galanthal (replaced with pickled ginger);
lime zest;
fish broth;
pickled milk mushrooms;
chilli;
onion;
garlic;
lemongrass;
cilantro;
pepper and salt.

Coconut milk is an optional component of the soup, but not required. Tom Yam soup in the classic version is prepared without it. Soup with coconut milk is called Tom Ka in Thai, and soup with shrimp is called Tom Yum Kung. Adding coconut milk to classic Tom Yum makes its taste softer.

Selecting and replacing components:

The fish broth for this soup is fresh. It is cooked from fatty fish - perch, silver carp, carp, ocean and sea fish (it is advisable not to use river fish);
spices, except salt, are replaced with seasoning for Tom Yam soup, which can be bought in any store in the section for preparing Japanese and Asian cuisine;
pickled milk mushrooms are replaced, if necessary, with shiitake mushrooms (Japanese cuisine);
Large shrimp are selected - king, tiger or Argentine red. It is not advisable to use langoustines in a classic recipe - they will give the dish an oldish tint;
if the soup is too spicy, add coconut milk and whipped cream;
pickled ginger can be replaced with fresh;
Ready-made Tom Yum soup kits will not replace ingredients such as lime, fresh herbs and seafood. Therefore, they are used as auxiliary components;
galangal root is replaced with fresh or pickled ginger;
lemongrass is used in its pure form or as a seasoning;
lime leaves are sold at the market (if desired, they can be replaced with lemon leaves);
It is advisable to cook Tom Yam in a glass container with a thick bottom.

Tom Yam - a classic recipe at home:

Step 1.

The chicken broth was cooked for about 1 hour, using chicken backs. Without salt! It is recommended to cook from a whole chicken. I only had the backs of two chickens, and they make a richer broth. Cook with one peeled onion. Afterwards we take out the chicken and onion; we won’t need them anymore. The broth is made from chicken, shrimp shells, or fish. We make it with chicken. Broth is the basis of Thai soup!

Step 2.

Now we send the aromas and all the solid ingredients in order. And we start with lime zest (only the green part). We use the zest instead of lime leaves. They are similar in aroma. If you find leaves, it will be even better (5 pieces). A little more zest is possible. I am attaching a photo...

Step 3.

Next we send the mushrooms. Of the Russian products, the most suitable mushrooms for Tom Yam are Oyster mushrooms. Approximately 300 grams:

Step 4.

Following the mushrooms is ginger root, chopped coarsely like this, because it is not used as food, but only gives off aroma. The original requires Galangal, but most likely you won't find it. Their aromas are very similar and they look almost the same.

Step 5.

Next is Lemongrass (lemon grass). I found it only in Auchan. There were 7 sticks in the package, but we only need 3-4, which we cut into 3-5 cm pieces and add to the soup at the same time as the ingredients above. Lemongrass is just for flavor and is a required ingredient. Without it, tom yam will not work. More precisely, it will not be the same. This is one of the main ingredients that emphasizes the taste of Thai soup.

Step 6.

This pasta is sold in Lenta, it is from Thailand, but there is a sticker on it in Russian, with a simplified recipe for Tom Yum soup. In simple words, this paste already contains the ingredients that we bought. Only here they are based on vegetable oils, in the form of a paste. This gives more flavor if you cook in Russia. Yes, this paste is also sold in Thailand. 50 grams.

Classic Thai recipe with Tom Yam paste

Tom Yam (a classic soup recipe is presented below) does not contain coconut milk. In Thailand, it is prepared with the addition of lime leaves, lemongrass and krachai (Thai ginger). Here is an adapted European recipe.

Ingredients:

king prawns – 300 g;
saturated fish broth – 200 g;
zest of 1 lime;
200 g fresh shiitake mushrooms;
2 chili peppers;
2 tbsp. l. Tom Yum pasta;
50 g pickled red ginger;
large white onion;
3 cloves of garlic;
lemongrass sprig (or 2 teaspoons lemongrass seasoning);
salt and pepper to taste;
coconut oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
3-4 branches of cilantro.

Step-by-step cooking instructions:

fresh lemongrass is beaten with a hammer;
onion and garlic are finely chopped;
ginger is cut into small thin circles or strips;
mushrooms are cut without stems;
the pepper is freed from seeds and cut into thin pieces;
shrimp are dipped in boiling water and boiled for 2-3 minutes, then peeled from the shell and head;
onions, ginger, garlic, pepper and Tom Yum paste are mixed and fried in a frying pan for 5 minutes;
then the fried components are mixed in a blender to form a paste;

Seasoning for Mediterranean soup

If oriental cuisine is too spicy, then the soup can be made more tender, but no less tasty. In this case, the seasoning for non-traditional tom yam will contain:

water or broth - 2 l, shrimp or fish - 0.5 kg;
cherry tomatoes – 0.2 kg, onions – 1 pc.;
carrots – 1 pc., lime – 1 pc.;
ground black pepper – 2–4 g;
soy sauce – 2–3 tbsp. spoons;
coconut milk – 0.3 l;
vegetable oil – 20–25 g;
parsley, dill, basil – 20–30 g.

Step-by-step cooking instructions:

Pour water into the pan and set it to heat. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and add chopped onions and carrots.
Add tomatoes. Fry everything for 7–10 minutes. We clean the shrimp or fish.
Add fish products to boiling water. Add the prepared roast, squeezed lime juice, pepper, coconut milk and soy sauce.
Bring to a boil. Chop the spicy herbs and add them to the soup.