Galangal: Not the Same as Ginger

Galangal is the rhizome that sits at the heart of Nikita's Malaysian curry sauce, alongside lemongrass, dried red chilies, mustard seeds and curry leaves. It looks similar to ginger but tastes sharply different: peppery, citrussy, almost piney, with none of ginger's warm sweetness. The two are not interchangeable. If a Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian or Vietnamese recipe calls for galangal, ginger will not give you the same dish. Galangal is much firmer than ginger, so slice it thin with a sharp knife or pound it in a mortar; it will not grate easily. Look for it at South East Asian grocers fresh, or buy frozen slices, which keep their flavour well. Dried galangal is a poor substitute.