Tom kha gai is a Thai soup rich with coconut milk but balanced with chili heat and lime, plus the tropical flavors and aromas of galangal, lemon grass and makrut. Chicken and mushrooms give the soup substance without dulling the aromatics. In Bangkok, chef Piched Kaewhem taught us how quickly and easily tom kha gai comes together. We set out to develop a recipe modeled on the Thai classic, but using readily available ingredients. We opted for lime zest in place of makrut leaves and ginger instead of galangal—imperfect substitutions, but good enough to make a flavorful, fragrant broth. A couple tablespoons of store-bought Thai roasted chili paste—called nam prik pao—brought savory background notes. But the coconut milk was a challenge. We tried many brands of canned coconut milk and got mixed results—from watery brews to curdled messes. Ultimately, we made our own coconut milk by blending dried coconut with water and straining the puree; we then fortify it with canned coconut cream (a more consistent product than canned coconut milk) and coconut water. If you like, serve jasmine rice alongside.

• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 cups warm water
• 2 limes
• 1 13½- to 15½-ounce can coconut cream (about 1¾ cups; see headnote)
• 2 cups coconut water
• 3 stalks lemon grass, trimmed to the bottom 6 inches, dry outer layers discarded, bruised and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 1½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced and bruised
• 1 medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper
• 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced, or oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into large bite-size pieces
• 1-1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise about ¼ inch thick
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more if needed
• 2 tablespoons Thai chili paste (see headnote)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 Fresno or serrano chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
• Roughly chopped fresh cilantro, to serve

1. In a blender, combine the shredded coconut and warm water. Let stand until the coconut begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Blend on high until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large saucepan. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the limes in strips; remove only the colored portion, not the white pith beneath. You will need a total of about 10 strips, each 2 to 3 inches long; add them to the saucepan. Juice the limes; you will need 3 tablespoons; set aside.
3. To the saucepan, add the coconut cream, coconut water, lemon grass, ginger, shallot, turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon white pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the solids.
4. For oyster mushrooms, tear them into bite-size pieces. For shiitakes, stem and thinly slice them. Stir the mushrooms, then bring to a simmer over medium. Add the chicken, fish sauce, chili paste, sugar and ⅛ teaspoon white pepper. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the chicken is opaque throughout and the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Off heat, stir in the lime juice and sliced chili. Taste and season with salt or fish sauce and white pepper. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

1. Don’t mistake cream of coconut for coconut cream. The former is a syrupy, sweetened mixture typically used in desserts and cocktails. The latter, a higher-fat version of regular coconut milk, is what you want. Coconut cream is sold in cans and aseptic packages of varying sizes. A 13½- to 15½-ounce can is fine here, or even three 5.4-ounce cans. A few tablespoons more or less of coconut cream won’t matter.