Kaffir lime,that fragrant ingredient that has permeated into our home and our food...full of flavour and really adds zestiness and zing to an Asian dish ! The citrusy flavours go so well with the sweet flavours of coconut milk and the spiciness of fresh red chili...truly a marriage made in heaven ! While we fret over the fact that it's not easily available and no Thai or Malaysian dish can come close to authenticity without this 'exotic' ingredient...it did lead people to do a lot of thinking as to why can it not be grown here,after all the climate fits the required profile...!!! So,I'm grateful to all these curious minds,one among whom is my mum, that lead to the discovery of our very own Narthangai...similar in size,shape and colour...with the same zesty fragrance...could it be the Indian cousin of Kaffir lime or are they in fact the same ??!!!
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While most people are convinced that they in fact are one and the same...one does find a critic or two that insist that the flavours of Kaffir lime are very different to that of the Narthangai....I for one do find the fragrance of the leaves quite similar and I'm more than happy to use the locally grown leaves and fruit in all my Asian dishes...I suggest you get a Narthangai sapling,it's so versatile,we make pickles,pachadis in Indian food,thuvayals and chutneys too...and it is a key ingredient in Asian cooking...and the flavours are so fresh,you might just be inspired to create your own dish...after all,isn't that what cooking is all about ;)))
I love the Naarthangai but the Kaffir lime leaves have a more wholesome flavour. Narthangai is the Citron, which is related to but different from Kaffir Lime.
ReplyDeleteI live in the Citrus Belt of South Texas,called the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, our preferred Rootstock before Grafting is the Sour Orange. In my opinion Narthangai is Sour Orange and not Kaffir Lime Tree. Kaffir Lime Tree has two lobed leaf and the fruit is much smaller with crinkly skin.
ReplyDeleteKaffir Lime has far superior and intense flavour than Narthangai, i grow both, and like the previous post kaffir has double leaf.
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