Put coconut milk and water (use the empty coconut milk can to measure) in a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Cut the galangal root once lengthways and then crosswise into 3 pieces. Cut the lemongrass root once in half crosswise and add it to the saucepan together with galangal and lemon leaves (prick them a few times on a board with the point of a knife - this will dissolve the flavor better). Let simmer for a good 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cut the onion into half rings, cut the bamboo shoots in half, pluck the leaves from a 1/2 bunch of sweet basil and roughly chop and cut the chili peppers lengthways and use the back of a knife to remove the kernels (this is where most of the spiciness is). It`s best to put on gloves or wash your hands immediately afterwards and make sure that you don`t get any chilli juice under your fingernails - it happened to me - it burns for days!
If you`ve already been to Thailand and know the spiciness of the food there and can do it well, take two chilli peppers, otherwise one is enough! And don`t be fooled because they are so small, Thai lilies are one of the hottest varieties in the world!
So, now chop the pitted chilli as small as possible and add to the pot with the bamboo and the diced chicken or prawns and continue to simmer until it is done. At the very end, add the squeezed lime juice (if it`s only that small, you can use two), add sugar and season with the fish sauce.
Since people do not season with salt in Asia, various salty sauces are used, e.g. soy, fish, oysters, crab sauce, etc. Do not let the smell put you off. It smells disgusting, but tastes good and the fish note evaporates. If it`s not salty enough for you, add more fish sauce until it fits, that`s a matter of taste.
Now add the basil, switch off the stove and let it steep for 1 - 2 minutes - done. The lemongrass root, the lemon leaves and the galangal cannot be eaten, they are only used for seasoning!
Ingredients
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe