Galangal

A common ingredient in Thai and Malaysian cooking, galangal is ginger’s sharper, more citrusy cousin, and is often referred to as ‘blue ginger’ in Asia. It can be found in fresh or paste form, and I like to use the latter since it stores well and is easier to work with – galangal is much tougher than ginger and can be hard to grate. Look for it in Asian grocery stores, but if you have no luck, just use the same amount of ginger – and, if possible, add a small spoonful of lime juice to mimic the acidity that galangal would impart.