Many popular Thai dishes include Lemongrass, a staple in the cuisine.You can buy bundles of the stalks in large supermarkets or Asian markets.The grass is coarse and thick and needs to be prepared in a specific way before it can be used in food preparation.It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to prepare.
Step 1: Cut off the bottom with a kitchen knife.
The base of a stalks is tough and bland.Place the stalks on a board to remove them.To trim off the lowest 2 inch, use a kitchen knife.You might have to put a lot of pressure on the knife.Cut off the base and throw it away.Add it to a compost pile if you prefer.
Step 2: The stalks have to be chopped off the top 6 inches.
The dark green tops of the stalks don't have a lot of flavor.The tops of the stalks can be cut with a kitchen knife.If you remove the base and the stalks, you will be left with a small section of green.The green tops are already removed from some grocery stores.Skip this step if this is the case for you.If you cut off the tops of the stalks, you can use them to make tea.
Step 3: If you want to cut the remaining lemongrass, slice it from the top to the bottom.
Align the knife blade so it runs from the top to the bottom.To cut the stalks in half, apply pressure to the tip of the blade and roll it back so the full length cuts through the lemongrass.Once you make the cut, you should have 2 even halves.If you can, make the halves as even as possible.If 1 is noticeably large than the other, it will take longer to cook the 2 halves.
Step 4: You can find tender spots by pressing your thumbnail into the interior of the grass.
The lemongrass has multiple flaky layers and looks like a green onion if you look inside.The most tender parts of the lemongrass are good to cook with.To find the tender bits, take 1 thumbnail and poke it into the inner and outer layers of the lemongrass.Press your thumb along the thick core of the bisected stalks.Most of the base is too firm to eat.
Step 5: The thick core and tough outer layers of the lemongrass need to be removed.
The tough parts of the lemongrass core can be removed with a kitchen knife.You will end up cutting off about 2 inches on most stalks.You can't easily mark the tough outer layers of the lemongrass with your thumbnail.In most cases, you will discard the outer layers of the stalks.The process is repeated with the second half.The core and outer layers should be removed the same amount.
Step 6: The remaining stalks should be 4 inch (0.64 cm) pieces.
You should be able to eat the 2 small stalks that you have left.Use your knife to slice the half flat on the cutting board.If you want to avoid lifting up your knife and moving it after a cut, just slide it under the knife blade.Each section should be 4–8 inch (0.64–0.32 cm) long.The second lemongrass has to be diced as well.Don't cut your fingers with the chef's knife.At this point, the lemongrass is ready to be used in dishes of your choice.
Step 7: The diced lemongrass can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
You can seal the leftover pieces in a plastic bag if you don't want to eat all of it.You won't forget about it if you put the bag in the fridge.Cut-up stalks that were old when you bought them may only be usable for 2 weeks.If you don't have a plastic bag, you can wrap the leftover lemongrass in a piece of thin plastic cling wrap.
Step 8: For long-term use, freeze the flower for up to 6 months.
Cut the lemongrass in an air-tight bag.If you are going to cook a lot of Thai dishes over a long period of time and don't want to be cutting lemongrass multiple times a week, keeping it in the freezer is a good option.To know when you froze it, mark the date on the bag.Write about datememe datememe on May 1 2019.
Step 9: Pick the most fragrant stalks by smelling them.
The more fragrant the stalks, the stronger the flavor.Pick up a bundle and take a big sniff of the base and the stalks.A slight hint of lemon is what good bundles should have.Some people like the smell of fresh lemongrass.While many supermarkets sell pre-cut stalks that have been diced into small cubes, you should leave these on the shelf.Most of the potent flavor of pre-cut lemongrass has been lost.
Step 10: The stalks have green bases and green tips.
The base of a flower is similar to that of green onions or shallots.The bases of the healthiest stalks will have a greenish-white tint.The green color should change as the base splits into multiple stalks.This is a sign that the stalks are fresh.If the entire length of the stalks is light green, it won't have much flavor and may be on its way to going bad.
Step 11: You can find stalks that are tightly clumped together.
The multiple stalks growing out of the base should be tightly packed together.There shouldn't be gaps between the stalks.The grass will taste good if this is a sign of freshness.If stalks seem to be falling apart or feel loose to the touch, they are probably not in great condition and won't taste very good.