Lemongrass Paste

Total Time: 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 4 -5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, pounded, cut in 1/2-inch pieces (1 tablespoon dried)
• fresh galangal root (half galangal half ginger)
• turmeric (pinch)
• chili pepper (thai, jalapeno, etc.)
• kaffir lime leaf (about 4 finely sliced with hard ribs removed)
• palm sugar, sugar, brown sugar (pinch to taste and enhances entire mix well)

Recipe

• 1 blend all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until very smooth and finely textured, 2 to 3 minutes. can, also, be pounded with mortar and pestle. keep refrigerated.
• 2 note 1: if you are using the pestle and mortar, start off with the hard to grind ingredients like the lemongrass, the kaffir lime leaves and the galangal.
• 3 note 2: if you are using a food processor, put the easiest-to-grind ingredients in first. the liquid that forms will help to process the other harder-to-blend ingredients.
• 4 note 3: the additon of a couple teaspoons water may encourage easier mixing and will not affect the final product.