15 Dinner Recipes That Light Up Your Senses With Lemongrass (2024)

FAQs

What dishes is lemongrass used for? ›

It's an easy alternative to crushing and chopping fresh lemongrass for Southeast Asian soup, noodle dishes, curries and stir-fries as well as cakes, cookies and teas.

Lemongrass is most closely associated with Southeast Asian cooking — especially Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Lao, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines.

Natural Diuretic Properties: Lemongrass has natural diuretic properties, which means it may help increase urine production and reduce water retention. While this may contribute to temporary weight loss by reducing bloating and fluid retention, it doesn't directly affect fat loss.

Some people might develop a rash or skin irritation. When inhaled: Lemongrass essential oil is possibly safe when used in aromatherapy. Pregnancy: Lemongrass is likely unsafe when taken by mouth during pregnancy. Lemongrass can stimulate the uterus and menstrual flow, which might cause a miscarriage.

In aromatherapy, lemongrass essential oils are used to help reduce anxiety, relieve stress and fight depression. People use the scent to fight negative feelings, eliminate mental fatigue and to feel refreshed. Lemongrass is thought to be stimulating and cleansing, uplifting and energizing.

While most of the studies to date on lemongrass tea are small-scale or lab-based, results show that lemongrass tea can help to improve oral health, lower cholesterol, and relieve bloating. In addition to drinking lemongrass as a tea, people can add the herb into dishes such as soups and stir fries.

Chop and use to make marinades and soups or add to stir-fries. Use as a flavouring for crème brulee or steep a stalk in a bottle of vodka for co*cktails (clean and bruise a lemongrass stalk, then put it in a nearly full bottle of vodka for 3-4 days, shaking occasionally; then remove the stalks).

If the lemongrass will be used in a marinade, curry paste, or stir fry, you just want to use the lower, tender part of the stalk (about 4-5 inches from the bottom). Because you'll be eating it, use a microplane rasp grater to grate trimmed lemongrass to make sure you don't have any tough, stringy bits in your dish.

However, Lemongrass has a flavour profile all of its own. While it is citrusy with a lemony flavour, it tastes almost like a mix of lemon and lemon mint. The flavour is quite light and does not overpower other flavours in a dish. It also adds a slightly sharp and tangy taste without the bitterness of lemon.

Do you eat cooked lemongrass? ›

How to Use Lemongrass. Your lemongrass should now appear finer—almost like yellow-green flakes. It is now ready to use in recipes such as curries or soups. Note that the lemongrass still needs to be cooked or boiled for at least five minutes before it is soft enough to be edible.