Galangal

Callister Sango
Roots Farm, Dominica
Galangal is of the Ginger/Turmeric family rhizome, used similarly especially in SE Asian cuisine, but with a taste of its own, spicier, mustardy and with a hint of citrus. For young sections, you can just thin slice and saute with your onions and herbs before adding rice or soup or stew or stir-fry ingredients. For older woodier sections, it may be best to peel off the skin and grate or mince  for a stir-fry or crush lightly or pound to add flavor to broths and soups or to make a warming healing tea.  The root can also be dried and ground to be used as a spice.

To store fresh, refrigerate in a paper bag in the crisper drawer, or grate and lay out on a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap and twist ends tightly, then freeze.  Leaves also available and can be added to soup or stocks, used in chutney, dried and powdered, and more.

RECIPE

(I just made this up and it was gorgeous and totally delicious 😋)

  1. Season a chunk of yellow fin tuna with salt, lime and hot sauce and let sit for an hour.
  2. Sear tuna to your taste in hot coconut oil and remove from pan.  
  3. Add to oil left in pan, thinly sliced (across the length of the root, not with it) young galangal tuber and let cook a few minutes, then add sliced jalapenos and seasoning peppers and finely chopped stem end of lemongrass.  Let cook a little more.  
  4. Add chopped chinese garlic chive and chopped culantro leaves, cooking lightly.  When galangal seems crisp tender, deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar, reduce and spoon over fish.  

The herbal mix would also be a great filling/stuffing for vegetarian dishes.

Medicinally, galangal has been used in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times in many of the same ways as ginger is used:  to promote digestion and stimulate appetite and production of digestive fluids (treats anorexia, indigestion (dyspepsia), colic and stomach ache, hiccups, nausea, vomiting, chronic gastritis and ulcers in the digestive tract.); as an analgesic (relieving pain) and antipyretic (reducing fever); to help reduce bacterial and fungal infections, especially those of the upper respiratory tract such as chronic bronchitis and cough.

Other uses include: as a mouthwash and a gargle for mouth ulcers, gum inflammation and other inflammation in the mouth and throat and as a treatment for bad breath and  as a remedy for rheumatic pains and arthritis.

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📨 karen@RootsFarm.info

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