| Points: | 8 |
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The versatile lemongrass
I regularly have tea with lemongrass and ginger popped in, and recently when relatives came to stay, they were saying how good it was, both the fragrance emitting from it and the taste. Naturally, I was quite pleased at the appreciation! I was telling them that it requires patience. Most people are always in a hurry to make a cup of tea, switching off the gas once it is boiled. I don't do it that way, unless there is the rare occasion when I need to go somewhere and want a quick cup. Otherwise, once it starts bubbling, I make the flame low and let the tea continue to simmer for a while. Also, some people pop in the tea leaves/powder later, but I always put it at the beginning itself. Everything goes in at one go at the start, including sugar, tea, ginger, and lemon grass stalks.Another hot beverage I like with lemon grass is soup with the stalks, coriander stalks, a single clove of garlic, and a bit of ginger. Once the water boils, I squeeze half of a large lemon in it, let it simmer, then strain to drink.
As for food, I like to have a home version of Thai green curry. I use the ready made masala for it that I've bought at a local food exhibition, while grinding broccoli (steamed first) + a few bits of finely cut lemon grass (it should be very finely chopped otherwise it comes in the mouth when eating, which is certainly not nice) + a bit of ginger + the water used to boil the lemon grass. Then I pop in bits of broccoli and yellow/green zucchini and/or red/yellow capsicum as per what is available (all steamed or cooked earlier) while heating the curry and have it with rice.
Do you use lemon grass stalks and if so, in what ways?
