Where can I buy Galangal

Worems

Hi guys, does anyone know where I might find Galangal. I've searched all the supermarkets and a couple of asian stores but can't find it anywhere... Any thoughts?

Merkin

I buy mine in Tesco, it's with all of the rest of the Thai ingredients

The Hill Billy

Can you tell us your general location? There's no point in a poster in Donegal telling you that they can get it in their local Asian supermarket if you live in Bantry.

tHB

Worems

Really? That simple. Now that I think of it, I don't think I tried Tesco.

Cheers Buddy!!

Worems

Cheers THB, Great point. I'm in Dublin, work on the Southside, but live on the Northside.

Merkin

No problem, I make a LOT of tom yum so always have it in the house.

I've just taken a picture of the packaging so you'll have a better chance of finding it when you go looking hon!

Worems

haha brilliant, thanks again! I assume that's powdered? or is it fresh? How do you store it? Sorry for all the questions.

Feel free to share your Tom Yum recipe.

Merkin

The galangal is in its dried form and comes back to life then when you add it to cooking. It gives the most amazing flavour to dishes! EDIT: no trick to storing it either, just somewhere out of the light and with all your other bits and bobs.

This is a great recipe for tom yum gung which I use as a loose base for what I do. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1916646/tom-yum-hot-and-sour-soup-with-prawns

I also add tamarind water (I simply mix a spoonful of tamarind paste with hot water) which gives it a hint of sweetness to cut down on the acidity and I add cherry tomatoes as well as they give it a lovely colour! The beauty of a tom yum is that it can be made to suit your palate and there are a lot of delicious things you can add like oyster mushrooms and all sorts of other goodies.

I do think the recipe above is a good one though, it is SO simple, so quick and very tasty!

Worems

Thanks!! It's great to have the galangal lying around. I was in thailand recently and did a cookery course and a lot of the recipes call for Galangal. I was hoping to use it to make curry paste in a mortar and pestle. I'll give it a go anyway.

I actually just made tamarind paste the other day and froze it in small containers. Good to have another recipe to use those on.

Thanks for the recipe, I love that website. I've tried countless recipes from it and they are always great.

Rasmus

Any Asian supermarket will have it too, and for cheaper usually.

Merkin

You're more than welcome. I find it brilliant, especially if you have a specific ingredient and you want to do something different with it. I had beautiful organic fennel to go with our roast pork on Sunday and wanted to do something nice with it - put it into that site and hey ho, a gorgeous recipe for fennel gratin which was DElicious!

If you're interested in doing more Thai cookery I'd say stock up with the following:

Good quality ginger
Galangal
Kaffir lime leaves
Good quality coriander (I always have a plant on the go in the kitchen as it's the stalks that have all the flavour)
Fresh chillis
Juice limes
Palm sugar
Coconut milk
Nam Pla (fish sauce)

If you've all of the above there are any number of delcious dishes you can work your magic on! This is making me hungry

Worems

That sounds delish. Must try that.

I actually do a bit of thai cooking, but all very rudimentary, and I've decided to step it up a bit lately. I have all of those ingredients you've mentioned just never used Galangal before. Looking forward to trying it. I'm staving now!! haha

MissFlitworth

I've gotten fresh galangal at the Asia market on Jervis Street before, it looks like ginger, just a bit shinier & to my eye 'snakey'



I've also accidentally bought Taro root there under the impression that it was galangal and made rather a disgusting mess of a curry So dependant on google images to help me locate what I'm after and my data was gone!

Curry Addict

i used to use galangal in thai dishes but one day i couldnt get it so i used ginger instead. I was surprised to find it lifted the dish and actually gave a better overall taste. i wonder if the galangal we get here has just traveled too far or been stored too long....

Merkin

Did you use fresh or dried Curry Addict?

Curry Addict

fresh

Krusty_Clown

Curry Addict wrote: »

i used to use galangal in thai dishes but one day i couldnt get it so i used ginger instead. I was surprised to find it lifted the dish and actually gave a better overall taste. i wonder if the galangal we get here has just traveled too far or been stored too long....

The ginger will also have travelled pretty far. I would imagine the ginger might be fresher as there is a greater turnover.

Sesshoumaru

Merkin wrote: »

No problem, I make a LOT of tom yum so always have it in the house.

I've just taken a picture of the packaging so you'll have a better chance of finding it when you go looking hon!

The BBC recipe calls for a couple of thick slices of galangal. How much powder/hot water do you use instead? Thanks!

A_Sober_Paddy

Sorry to bring up a zombie thread, but does anyone know if Tesco are still carrying this?