DISH RESEARCH · Dish
Gaeng Om Isan
Isan chicken and vegetable soup with a fresh chilli paste, fermented fish sauce, toasted rice powder, dill and lemon basil.
About Gaeng Om Isan
Gaeng om gai is a water-based chicken curry-soup from Isan in northeastern Thailand. This profile follows Praew's family recipe, learned from her Isan grandmother, with chicken thighs, local vegetables and a freshly pounded chilli paste.
Fermented fish sauce and toasted rice powder give the broth savoury depth and a lightly thickened body. Lemongrass, garlic, shallot and chillies make it aromatic and moderately hot, while dill and lemon basil bring a fresh herbal finish.
The soup is clear rather than coconut-rich, with tender chicken and pieces of Thai eggplant among crisp-tender bok choy and scallion flower stems. Toasted rice powder softens the broth's edges without making it heavy.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Fish.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Gaeng Om Isan
Praew's Isan family gaeng om gai.
- Vegetable oilCurry-paste cooking fat
- Skin-on chicken thighsMain protein
- Fermented fish sauce (nam pla ra)Fermented savoury seasoning
- WaterSoup broth
- SaltSeasoning
- MSGFlavour enhancerIngredient page not linked
- Thai eggplantFirm vegetable
- Bok choy flowerCrisp vegetable
- Onion flower stemMild onion vegetable
- Toasted rice powderBroth thickener and toasted grain note
- Lemon basilFresh citrusy herb
- DillDistinctive Isan herb
- LemongrassCurry-paste aromatic
- GarlicCurry-paste aromatic
- Dried chilliesCurry-paste heat
- Fresh bird's-eye chilliesFresh curry-paste heat
- Thai shallotsCurry-paste aromatic
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Vegetable oil: . Vegetable oil is the source's named neutral-oil example and is selected here.
- Skin-on chicken thighs: . The source's selected thigh form remains explicit in the card name.
- Fermented fish sauce (nam pla ra): . Fish is confirmed; fish species and complete fermented product formula are unspecified.
- Water:
- Salt:
- MSG: . The recipe explicitly includes MSG, but no active approved exact ingredient route was verified; the mapping remains unresolved rather than omitted or implied safe.
- Thai eggplant:
- Bok choy flower: . The approved bok-choy route is broader than the flowering stem form named by the source.
- Onion flower stem: . The source identifies this as scallion flower; the approved broader scallion route is retained.
- Toasted rice powder: . The active approved route uses the equivalent label roasted rice powder.
- Lemon basil: . The approved route is broader basil; the exact lemon-basil form remains explicit in the card name.
- Dill:
- Lemongrass:
- Garlic:
- Dried chillies:
- Fresh bird's-eye chillies: . The source permits bird's-eye or Jinda chillies; this bounded version selects bird's-eye chillies.
- Thai shallots: . The approved generic shallot route is retained for Thai shallots.
Origins & food traditions
The source identifies gaeng om gai as a traditional Isan water-based chicken curry-soup and describes dill as distinctive. Praew was born in Isan and attributes this complete version to her Isan grandmother. The profile names that family version without claiming every regional gaeng om uses identical vegetables.
Countries
- Thailand
- ThailandCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Isan Cuisine
- Northeastern Thai Cuisine
- Isan CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.