Lemongrass is a shrub-like herb, commonly used in cooking and making herbal teas. It has a lemon-like, sweet flavour that works well in sweet and dishes and drinks.
It is also a common ingredient in Thai cuisine. You can also substitute it with lemon juice (or lime) in low quantities.
Lemon grass has many medicinal properties. It is used for curing digestive tract spasms, stomach ache, high blood pressure, convulsions, pain, vomiting, cough and joint pains.
Here are two recipes that you can make at home with lemon grass.
Panna cotta
Ingredients
Fresh cream: 1kg
Sugar: 200gm
Chopped Lemon Grass: 75gm
Gelatine: 25gm
Ice Water: 75ml
Fruits for garnish
Method
Soak the gelatine in ice water.
Boil the fresh cream and sugar with the chopped lemon grass. Melt the gelatine in double boiler or in microwave oven for 20 seconds Add it to the boiled cream and mix well.
Strain the cream and cool it in an ice bath. Pour it into a bowl and set it in the refrigerator at below 5 degree for 4 to 5 hours. Serve chilled, topped with chopped fruits.
Rasam
Ingredients
Tuvar dal: 100 gm
Turmeric: 2 gm
Water: 2 litres
Refined oil: 30 ml
Mustard: 3 gms
Jeera: 3 gms
Fenugreek: 3 gm
Peppercorn:3 gms
Chopped garlic and ginger: 10 gm each; green chilli: 30 gms
Chopped onion: 25 gm
Curry leaves: 3 gm
Chopped coriander: 10 gms
Chopped lemongrass: 100 gm
Chopped tomato: 50 gms
Asafoetida: 2 gms
Salt to taste
Method
Boil the tuvar dal in two litres of water with turmeric powder and keep aside
Heat oil in a vessel till the mustard seeds, jeera, fenugreek seeds and peppercorn crackle.
Add chopped garlic, ginger, green chilli, onion, lemongrass, curry leaves and sauté. Add chopped tomato and cook.
Now add the dal water, asafoetida and allow the mixture to simmer.
Add salt.
Strain the rasam
Garnished it with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
The writer is executive chef Vivanta by Taj-Surya, Coimbatore
