Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <substitutions><herbs><curry>
Title: Substitute for lemon grass in curry dish
Question: I have a meal planned in a few days and it calls for lemon grass.  Problem is I've been to the store a couple of times and they don't have it.    (the store is a block away and I don't feel like driving all the way to the next one to look)  The dish is curry spiced noodles, basically a stir-fry.  Any suggestions?

Answers:
sents: text: Well I would suggest if you really can not get it, then leave it out altogether.
text: It provides accents of flavour rather than a primary usually in most curry recipes, so it can be omitted.
text: If you want to substitute it, then you can use lemon or lime zest, possibly with some mint leaves to freshen it a little.
text: But the end result will not be the same, just enhanced in a similar fashion to that which lemongrass achieves.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3432/Orbling
score: 6
sents: text: Western grocery stores generally don't carry lemon grass, you'll need to go to an Asian market.
text: Many of them will also sell dried (powdered) lemon grass, which is definitively the best substitute you can find for fresh lemon grass.
text: Honestly, there's really very little else you can substitute.
text: Lemon grass has this hint of citrus flavour but also, as the name implies, a sort of grassy , herb-like flavour.
text: If I were really desperate, I would substitute lemon zest (fresh only ), at 1/2 tsp for each lemon grass stalk called for by the recipe, and several pages online seem to suggest adding in some arugula (to give it that grassy quality).
text: But be warned, it is not going to be the same, it's going to be a great deal more bitter, so consider either reducing the quantity or adding more sweet/savoury spices or ingredients to the curry to compensate (cinnamon, perhaps).
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/41/Aaronut
score: 5
sents: text: I always think lemongrass tastes more like lime than lemon.
text: I'd use the grated zest of a lime, perhaps mixed with some of lemon.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4194/ElendilTheTall
score: 3
sents: text: Lemongrass freezes well.
text: If you cannot find it in the fresh section, try the frozen section of the market.
text: Personally, and unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it even it at my own local Asian market.
text: Recipes in some of my cookbooks call for lemon zest as an alternative.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4226/ewindisch
score: 1
sents: text: I'm certainly not an expert but as was mentioned briefly before, lemon balm might be a better substitute than lemon or lime zest.
text: It has a subtle lemon-y flavor and also the 'grass-y' note (if fresh).
text: I've used that before when I was out of lemongrass and
text: it was better than leaving it out.
text: I just had to play with the amount, however, adding tiny bits at a time and tasting.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/10766/Tamara Morgan
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
You could use lemon or lime zest, possibly mixed with arrugula for the grassy quality, or use lemon balm instead.
The the zest of a lemon or lime or some lemon balm.