Galangal root in cooking, calorie content and composition. Useful properties and restrictions when consumed in food. What dishes add seasoning to, is it possible to make it yourself. The dried root also contains starch and resinous compounds.
The taste of dried galangal depends not only on the variety and growing area, but also on the degree of dryness. The denser the root, the sweeter it tastes and the more distinctly the cinnamon-peppery aroma is felt.
Useful properties of dried galangal
Despite the fact that the taste and smell of alpine resembles ginger, you should not replace the ingredient in medicinal tinctures and dishes. Their effect on the body is different, and the taste of the dish will be different.
The benefits of dried galangal
- Normalizes the digestive system, has a strengthening effect, stops diarrhea caused by overeating or food allergies.;
- Reduces the acidity of gastric juice and eliminates intestinal colic, accelerates the passage of intestinal gases;
- Prevents the appearance of hemorrhoids, relieves painful symptoms during exacerbation of the disease;
- Has a pronounced antiseptic and antimicrobial effect, inhibits the vital activity of pathogenic bacteria;
- Increases blood clotting;
- Reduces bleeding during menstruation, helps to stop internal bleeding in case of erosive or ulcerative damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract and hollow organs;
- Stimulates the secretion of bile, which increases appetite;
- It has an antioxidant effect, prevents malignancy of neoplastic cells;
- Accelerates healing after injuries with violation of the integrity of the skin, stimulates the regenerative properties of the epithelium after furunculosis and acne;
- Reduces the number of migraine attacks, relieves painful sensations at the same time;
- Accelerates the recovery of the nervous system after stress or increased emotional and mental stress;
- Reduces cholesterol levels;
- Prevents the development of heart attack or stroke, normalizes heart rate;
- Relaxes, has a sedative effect;
- Increases the body's immunity, has a general strengthening effect, prevents the exacerbation of chronic diseases: arthritis, rheumatism, gout.
Tea with dried galangal prevents the development of seasickness, soothes before flights, and normalizes intracranial pressure. It is enough to drink a glass of the drink after hypothermia to stop the symptoms of colds. Additional action: increases the body's defenses and increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
Harm and contraindications to the use of dried galangal
Dried galangal is not added to children's dishes even in minimal quantities. This improvement in taste can provoke constipation and intestinal cramps.
There are almost no contraindications to the use of dried galangal by adults. In the absence of individual intolerance to the seasoning, it can be added to any dish without restrictions. However, the compatibility of the spice with some medicinal products should be taken into account. For a while, you will have to stop using the seasoning:
- When taking medications that thin the blood;
- During constipation, if laxatives are used;
- When using drugs that reduce the acidity of gastric juice.
Pregnant women should not improve the taste of alpinia, it is not known how the introduction of the product into the diet will affect the fetus. Also, do not consume dried galangal during lactation. The baby can give up breast, the taste of milk becomes spicy, a little pungent.
It is undesirable to get involved in galagal after treatment for alcohol addiction. Drinking cravings may resume.
Dried Galangal Recipes
As a spice, dried galangan is added to vegetables, sweets, meat and fish dishes, but traditionally it is customary to combine it with rice. So that the dish does not disappoint, when choosing a root, you should pay attention not only to the appearance, but also to smell it. A quality product with a dense, homogeneous structure, the smell combines the aromas of cedar, earth after rain, cinnamon and saffron.
Most of the dried galangal recipes are oriental. In addition to this exotic seasoning, they include other ingredients that are little known to Europeans.
Spicy Condiment Dishes
- Tom Yam Spicy Shrimp Soup … First, Thai chicken broth is cooked. Unlike traditional cooking, chicken bones are used, 400 g per 1 liter of water. Broth seasonings: 1 celery stalk, onion, 2 lime leaves, salt and pepper to taste. In the finished broth, 1, 5 l, 6 pieces of galangal root are poured, 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 spoon of fish sauce and chili paste, which were previously fried in a dry frying pan, are poured. Boil for 1 minute, then remove the container with broth from heat. 16 large king prawns are cleaned by removing the esophagus and shells. Wash 20 mushrooms and cut each cap into 4 pieces. Put the pan on the fire again and, as soon as it boils, add mushrooms and shrimps, cook for about 3 minutes. You should navigate in such a way as to bring the shrimp to readiness without overcooking. Before serving, be sure to try the soup to make sure that the taste is spicy enough. If the pungency is not enough, add lime juice, black pepper, chili slices.
- Tom Yum Kung … 10 g of dried galangal are chopped into large chunks, and half of the lemon grass and half of the chili are chopped without removing the seeds from the pod. Fresh mushrooms, preferably champignons, 4 pieces, cut into 4 pieces each. 5 tiger prawns are peeled, but tails are left, this is necessary for the presentation, and from 2-3 branches of cilantro, only tender leaves are torn off, removing the stem. Pour 1.5 cups of chicken broth into a saucepan with thick walls (how to cook it was described in the previous recipe), bring to a boil, add galangal, lemongrass, 2-3 lime leaves, chili pepper, and after 2-3 minutes pour 360 ml of coconut milk. Mix it first. Bring to a boil, add 2 tbsp. l. Tom-Yam paste (the second name is pepper) and mushrooms. When it boils again, spread the shrimp, 2 tbsp. l. fish sauce or curry paste, sea salt, cane sugar - 1.5 teaspoon. Cilantro is added to the presentation. Served in a deep plate, the best side dish for the dish is rice.
- Duck noodles or Kuai Tieu Pet Tun … Before showing off a Japanese dish to your guests, it is advisable to cook it at home, as you will most likely need to reduce the amount of spices. First, the duck fillet is separated from the carcass, and the bones are chopped into several pieces. Broth is cooked from the bones, adding to it: white pepper - 2 pinches, the same amount of wuxiangmian spice (Chinese seasoning of 5 herbs), cinnamon - 4 sticks, star anise - 7 stars, galangal - 4 pieces of dried root 3-4 cm long. Pour sunflower oil into a deep frying pan, fry the chicken breast, so that the meat inside is pink. To make the roast smoother, notches are made on the breast. Once it's browned, it's marinated in cane sugar soy sauce. After 15 minutes, frying continues for another 2 minutes, then the meat is spread into the duck broth. It is seasoned with soy sauces. A traditional dish uses at least 3 types of sauces: sweet, light and flavored. The ideal flavor combination is achieved empirically. The soup is boiled for another 10 minutes, the well-boiled meat is taken out, and the Japanese enoki mushrooms, 5-6 pieces, are lowered into the pan. Egg noodles are boiled in water, the broth is filtered through a sieve. Spread the noodles in a slide, pour in broth, spread meat, chopped mushrooms on it, decorate with celery and green onions.
In Japanese cuisine, dried galangal is often combined with fish sauce. The latter has a very pungent smell; Moscow chefs even came up with a characteristic name for it - "Three stations". An unusual and tasteless product for a European can be replaced with curry paste or the seasoning of the same name, diluted with water to a creamy consistency.
In Japanese cuisine, dried galangal root is added to hot dishes in powder and in pieces, to main courses, desserts and baked goods only in powder or grated form. Leaves are used to decorate the food.
Interesting facts about dried galangal
In ancient Greece, galangal was used primarily to cleanse the stomach. The root was brought to this country by Arab merchants.
In Asian countries, the root of galangala was used as an aphrodisiac. Women added it to their chosen ones to increase the duration of intercourse. But when studying the properties, it turned out that, unlike ginger, it does not have any effect on the sexual function of men.
The eastern spice gained popularity in the 17th century in Europe as well, it was called the "Russian root". The seasoning received this name due to the fact that it was transported through the territory of Russia.
Today in Europe, dried galangal is usually added to grog or punch, replacing them with ginger, but the medicinal effect of such drinks is low. To increase the healing properties, the dried root is boiled for 10 minutes without additives.
You can make the seasoning yourself. The root is harvested in late autumn or early spring, when the plant has overwintered, but has not yet awakened and has not let out sap. Only plants that are more than 10 years old are dug up. The ground part is cut off with a sharp hatchet or shears, the rhizome is cleaned from small thin lateral roots, and the thin reddish skin is carefully removed. The peeled root is cut into pieces measuring 6-7 cm in length and laid out in the shade under a canopy or in a ventilated area. For industrial drying, blowing ovens are used. The beneficial and flavoring properties of the root are preserved for 2 years.
When purchasing a seasoning, it is advisable to know what it looks like. From China, a light root is often brought, cut into pieces, with a yellow pulp. He has nothing to do with a real big galangal. The characteristic features of this product are: dense reddish skin, covering the rhizome and darkening when dry, as well as the smell of pine resin. The South Chinese version, although it is smaller in size, can be distinguished from galangal in chopped form by its citrus aroma.
Watch a video about galangal:
If you want to try a new flavoring addition to a familiar dish, then no more than 2-3 pieces of root are added to it. Otherwise, the taste will change completely: the seasoning is very rich, with a bright aroma.
