Recipe Review: Tom Ka Gai

I LOVE LOVE coconut milk. I've been craving it a lot lately. So when I saw lemongrass in the grocery store on sale, I just had to make this Tom Ka Gai recipe. Yummy!

Like most Thai food, this recipe is naturally gluten-free, so there really isn't adjusting you have to do. Finding fish sauce isn't the easiest thing in the world, though (unless you live near an Asian market). Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce is gluten-free and is the one I've always used. Now, I specifically recommend this brand because if you are a true American-born gal like me you don't want to buy any sort of sauce with little fish heads staring back at you. Ew.

Best way to get the most out of the lemongrass flavor is to throw it either in a food processor chopping it slightly or to grind it in a morter & pestle. The food processor is easier, so that's what I did. ;) Makes tiny little pieces of the lemongrass, but since lemongrass is calming on your stomach no big deal. When you cook the lemongrass, the smell will be significant, so make sure to turn on your vent on the stove before you start.

Note to sensitive stomachs: Two things you might have to do to adjust the recipe. Crushed red pepper isn't great on stomachs recently healing from the a new gluten free diet, so I recommend removing that if you are in that boat. Also, bok choy is a member of the cabbage family and therefore can cause significant bloating. So, if that is ever a problem with you, I would replace the bok choy with slivered carrots, snow peas, and/or bamboo.

Note to non-Gluten free peeps: If you are making this for a gluten-free person, make sure that don't have cross-contamination by using new seasonings. If you've used a measuring spoon in a spice container after you've measured out flour with the same spoon, then you will make the person sick. This usually isn't a problem with the seasonings in this recipe, because you normally don't use flour and cumin in the same recipe so the likelihood of you've ever getting flour in the seasoning is small, it's just important to note. Also, never chop the food on the same cutting board you've used to slice bread products on. Make sure all your cooking utensils are thoroughly washed.

Overall, it's a great naturally gluten free recipe to try. Something a little different. :)