How to counteract too much lemongrass?

In this brief guide, we will answer the question, “How to counteract too much lemongrass?”. We will elaborate on different approaches to help you counteract too much lemongrass in a recipe. 

How to counteract too much lemongrass?

To counteract too much lemongrass, you can:

  • Add salt to neutralise the pungency
  • Add lemon or lime juice
  • Add sugar to balance out the spice
  • Add dairy products to offset the bitterness
  • Dilute the recipe 

What are the different ways to counteract too much lemongrass?

Lemongrass is often used in Asian dishes like curry. It is known for its spicy, pungent and bitter flavour. 

It imparts a pleasant taste to a dish when added in a balanced amount, however, adding too much of it can ruin a dish by its bitter flavour. 

The bitter flavour of lemongrass usually only prevails when overcooked or improperly prepared. It comes from phytonutrients, which are really good for health but bitter substances such as ellagic acid and resveratrol. 

You can not remove these bitter substances from lemongrass, but you can definitely neutralise its bitter taste with a combination of blanching, slow-cooking and food acid. 

If you have gone overboard with adding lemongrass to your recipe, and you want to counteract it, don’t get in a fluster, here we have shared five different ways to help you counteract too much lemongrass in your recipe. These methods will surely help you to make your dish appropriate to serve.

Follow the below tricks to counteract too much lemongrass.

Add some salt to neutralise the pungency

If you realise that you have added too much lemongrass to your recipe when tasting the meal and you haven’t lost the option of cooking the dish any further to change its consistency, try counteracting the excess lemongrass flavour by adding water and salt and then cooking it for some more time. 

Around 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt can work to reduce the bitter flavour of lemongrass. Taste it again and add more if required. You can use pure table salt or sea salt. Taste it again and add more if required. 

This will dilute the flavour of too much lemongrass from your dish making the consistency perfect. Salt can also be combined with sugar to further increase the effect.

Add sugar to balance out the spice 

Sweeteners can work really well to offset the spicy flavour caused by too much lemongrass in your recipe. These will not directly lower the spiciness but will give a different flavour that will help to distract the taste buds with the complexity of flavours. 

For instance, too much lemongrass in curry or a salad dressing can be counteracted by adding a pinch of sugar or honey. 

Mix well after adding a sweetener, letting the flavours blend thoroughly. Be sure to add just a pinch at a time tasting after every addition or your dish will have a sweeter taste.

Add lemon or lime juice 

Another valid trick to counteract a strong flavour is to use another strong flavour. Acidic ingredients can greatly help to balance out the bitter taste of too much lemongrass. 

Among the acidic ingredients, you can try adding lemon or lime juice. Both of these will work excellently by adding a fruitier flavour. 

Just squeeze a fresh lemon or lime juice into your recipe and you are good to go. 

Counteract the spice with dairy

If you have added too much lemongrass to a curry, masala or any other recipe that can go well with dairy, add 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of yoghurt or milk. Dairy products can work really well to offset the spicy flavour of lemongrass. 

Other options that you can have include skim milk and reduced-fat or full-fat varieties of yoghurts. Stir well to blend before serving.

Dilute the dish

You can dilute the flavour of lemongrass by decreasing the ratio of lemongrass to all other ingredients. This approach helps to reduce the bitter and pungent flavour caused by too much lemongrass.

If you have added too much lemongrass to a chicken recipe, to counteract it add more of the brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil and other base elements but do not add lemongrass. 

This will help to fix too much pungent taste without running the risk of modifying the dish’s overall flavour profile. This approach has the advantage of being adaptable as it can be used with any dish or drink that comprises lemongrass.

We hope these approaches will help you save your dish. Still, if nothing goes well, forget it. Learn your lesson and you may start again.

Other FAQs about Lemongrass that you may be interested in.

What can I substitute for lemongrass?

Conclusion 

In this brief guide, we will answer the question, “How to counteract too much lemongrass?”. We will elaborate on different approaches to help you counteract too much lemongrass in a recipe. 

References 

https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/make-turmeric-lemongrass-less-bitter-11204.html

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