flyinglentris
Disabled and Retired Veteran
I got my galangal root today and am not ready to create what I will call Spice Island Mash and possibly a spice coulis - if there is such a thing.
Galangal for Spice Island and Southeast Asian Cooking
- Thread starter flyinglentris
- Start date
There's fresh galangal available here too. I'm eager to see what you'll come up with the root, flyinglentris. I used to be a happy user of canned galangal paste (and the tamarind paste of the same brand) but they've updated/'transformed' the galangal paste into a Tom Yam paste with several other spices
. I used the galangal a lot in curries and stir-fried dishes - often with coconut cream and fish sauce. Hopefully there will be another brand available soon.
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flyinglentris
Disabled and Retired Veteran
There's fresh galangal available here too. I'm eager to see what you'll come up with the root, flyinglentris. I used to be a happy user of canned galangal paste (and the tamarind paste of the same brand) but they've updated/'transformed' the galangal paste into a Tom Yam paste with several other spices
View attachment 57783
My first objective is to create a blend and a paste similar as what you show here. I have envisioned calling it a mash and possibly straining off a spice coulis from it as I process it. Then, those two products or maybe just one will go toward some recipes.
flyinglentris
Disabled and Retired Veteran
If any members are privy to a quick way to soften up the hard dry galangal root, I'd be pleased if that was shared.
The best I could do last time was to boil it. It still remained hard with overnight soaking, so hard that it could not be cut with a knife, grated or mashed easily with a hammer in a cloth bag. Perhaps, I should have soaked it in hot water, not just tap water.
Dry galangal is a very hard tough ingredient.
The best I could do last time was to boil it. It still remained hard with overnight soaking, so hard that it could not be cut with a knife, grated or mashed easily with a hammer in a cloth bag. Perhaps, I should have soaked it in hot water, not just tap water.
Dry galangal is a very hard tough ingredient.
MrsDangermouse
Forum GOD!
Can you get Bart products in Finland? Their galangal paste is 66% galangal, the other ingredients are just water, cornflour, salt, sugar and citric acid (so basically thickeners/stabilisers and preservatives). I've used their lemongrass and galangal pastes and other spices for a while now and really like them.I used to be a happy user of canned galangal paste (and the tamarind paste of the same brand) but they've updated/'transformed' the galangal paste into a Tom Yam paste with several other spices
medtran49
Forum GOD!
I would try boiling water with an overnight soak and make sure it is all underneath the water, i.e. not floating. Alternatively, email the company and ask since it's their product.
Do you have an Asian market anywhere near you? They usually have frozen galangal, if not fresh. Even if 1 is within driving distance, might be worth a trip if you are going to make a lot of Asian dishes. The sauces and condiments in the ones we go to are way, way cheaper than at the grocery, and much cheaper than Amazon. You can get dried mushrooms, noodles and such that will last for years, especially the dried produce, if you keep in fridge. You can also get wrappers for dumplings, wontons, etc., that can be kept in freezer, though you do have to wrap well and then bag or they will dry out, BTDT. Oh, if you get something like gochugaru, keep that in the freezer as well, as it will sometimes mold otherwise. Gochujang lasts a really long time in the fridge. Just use common sense when storing.
Do you have an Asian market anywhere near you? They usually have frozen galangal, if not fresh. Even if 1 is within driving distance, might be worth a trip if you are going to make a lot of Asian dishes. The sauces and condiments in the ones we go to are way, way cheaper than at the grocery, and much cheaper than Amazon. You can get dried mushrooms, noodles and such that will last for years, especially the dried produce, if you keep in fridge. You can also get wrappers for dumplings, wontons, etc., that can be kept in freezer, though you do have to wrap well and then bag or they will dry out, BTDT. Oh, if you get something like gochugaru, keep that in the freezer as well, as it will sometimes mold otherwise. Gochujang lasts a really long time in the fridge. Just use common sense when storing.
This is the advice for using dried galangal from a UK supplier:
Soak in water for 20mins and crush well in a mortar and pestle before use. This will extract all the juices from the galangal. Add this juice and the pieces (if you wish) into your dish to further infuse in the sauce.
flyinglentris
Disabled and Retired Veteran
Soaking in hot water allowed galangal to be sliced, diced and then used in a blender.
After chopping, the galangal can be pulverized with mortar and pestle or just blended in a blender.