Why not? You could...in Kalyn's Kitchen, and when you do have a lemongrass spray repellent. Lemongrass is also known as citronella grass or fever grass. The oil of citronella is commonly used as mosquite repellent. This oil is surely more natural than DEET as an insect repellent, but effectiveness, I'm not sure. For me, it's just using lemongrass (not the spray or repellent, of course...I was kidding) to whip up a few good dishes.The stalk of lemongrass itself is too hard to be eaten, except for the soft inner part. To use in stir-fry, peel off the hard outer part of the lemongrass and finely slice the soft inner part.
To use in soup recipes, bruise them with a few hard "knocks" on the stalk(usually bottom white part) using back of knife/chopper; then add it whole, in soups as this releases the aromatic oils from the juice sacs in the stalk and imparts a citrous flavor to your dish.
"Bruised" and whole, do add a stalk in your glass of iced tea, too! Trust me, this will be THE drink, a refreshing one, after an especially spicy meal. Some Thai restaurants (eg. Lemongrass Restaurant in Singapore) serve this drink. I would always order it!
The way I've sliced the lemongrass (from picture above), it's easy to guess I'm using it for a stir-fry with beancurd/tofu.
Thai Style Hot and Spicy Fried Tofu/Bean Curd (serves 2)
Ingredients:
-1 block firm beancurd/tofu, cut into bite sized cubes
-oil for deep frying
-100g ground pork
-1stalk lemon grass chopped finely
-1tsp chopped chilli padi or dashes of red chilli pepper flakes
Seasoning:
-2tbsp lime juice
-1tbsp sugar
-200mlwater/broth
Method:
1. Heat up oil for deep-frying, deep fry bean curd till golden brown. Dish and drain, set aside
2.Heat up oil and saute all ingredients till fragrant
3. Add in ground pork, stir well, add in seasoning and bring to boil. Add in fried bean curd, mix well and serve immediately
Tag: tofu, beancurd, lemongrass, thai style beancurd,weekend herb blogging
hey, thanks for visiting my blog. Nice blog you got here.
ReplyDeleteI've never had lemongrass with tofu before. Interesting combo. I might try it one day!
Sounds very tasty to me. I like lemongrass a lot, but it's kind of hard to find fresh lemongrass in Utah. Never thought of using it in iced tea, and I think it's a great idea.
ReplyDeletesimmie, it's a simple stir fry. Do try it! (BTW, is ur nickname or name pronounced just like "what" in hokkien? ;p)
ReplyDeleteThx for dropping by my blog too!
Hi Kalyn, do try the iced tea concoction, if you can get fresh lemongrass(what a pity...you can't get fresh lemongrass in Utah)!
ReplyDeleteSome Thai restaurants serve such tea. I promise you will love it! It's very very refreshing. :D
I prefer this Thai iced tea than the Thai iced tea that comes sweetened with milk.
As you can probably imagine, I'm a BIG fan in lemongrass. Not only do I use it a lot in my cooking (nyonya, thai and malay dishes especially), I also have a shower gel which is fragranced with lemongrass and ginger, and a massage oil of the same concoction! Your stirfry dish looks interesting, and I shall try it soon! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLyrical lemongrass, so you are a walking lemongrass! I bet no mosquitoes like you. You are a natural repellent (repel only insects, of course) .
ReplyDeleteI've never seen shower gel of lemongrass and ginger fragrance before. Did you add them in? :D
tigerfish: lol to natural repellent! Yeah, I hope it's just insects only! :-P
ReplyDeleteI got the showergel from Marks & Spencers..liked it so much, I got another 4 bottles! I'm hooked on anything lemongrass. :-)
wow, got both food recipe & beauty remedy two-in-one, hehe, good deal !!:) tiger, can't sleep now, starring at your porky dish :(
ReplyDeleteYou are making me very hungry with that spicy tofu. Got to get wife to cook it. :)
ReplyDeleteLyrical Lemongrass, 4 bottles!? Should be worthwhile for me to take a good look in M&S when I'm bac in S'pore the next time :D
ReplyDeleteMW,this is an effective way to train ourselves to be resistant to temptations, isn't it ? For many times, I have gone to sleep with my stomach growling hungry, just because I surfed food blogs, including yours. ;p
Fleck, all the ingredients should be so easily available in Singapore. And this dish is not as commonly served (compared to basil chicken or green curry)in the Thai restaurants in S'pore. So, shd be worthwhile to try it.
ReplyDeletehad lemon grass tea before at bintan (indonesia) spa resort... not really tea, it's like diluted lemon grass juice and with a stalk of lemon grass in it. they serve this tea after spa, should be refreshing but it tasted weird to me.
ReplyDeleteHi lydia, but what I had was tea (not lemongrass juice) with a stalk of lemongrass. Lemongrass tea with lemongrass stalk, that's too much lemongrass to drink, ya? :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by.
Tigerfish,
ReplyDeleteWe must be on the same wavelength. I was cooking with lemongrass too. To boil with my watersnails. But it's easy for me, I have some lemongrass in my garden and my uncle grows lots and lots. :)