herBs

curry leavEs

Not to be confused with curry powder, curry leaves are dark green, small, and have a similar shape to lemon leaves. They have citrus notes and a slightly sweet taste, but also has some bitter and smokey notes. Curry leaves can be found fresh, dried, whole or ground. There's no good substitute for curry leaves, so it's best to omit them from the recipe if you cannot get access to any. If you must, you can try using a dry bayleaf. They can be found in Indian and Asian markets, and are also available online.

galanGal

Used in many Southeast Asian cooking, galangal is part of the ginger family, but both taste different from each other. Galangal has a strong earthy flavor, with citrusy notes. It has a pale and thin skin, with a tough flesh, and it becomes tougher with age.  

gingeR

Ginger root has a soft skin with a pale yellow flesh. It is widely used in Asian cuisine, and is very fragrant and mildly spicy. Ginger is less pungent and sweeter than galangal.