Recipe
Tom yum with makrut lime leaves
- Herb:
- Makrut lime Citrus hystrix
- Method:
- Culinary use
- Plant part:
- Leaf
About 30 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Bring 1 l of chicken or vegetable stock to the boil with 2 lemongrass stalks cut into pieces and 5 slices of galangal.
- Add 4–5 torn makrut lime leaves, 3 crushed chillies and 200 g of mushrooms; simmer 5 minutes.
- Add prawns or tofu and cook 2–3 minutes until done.
- Take off the heat and season with 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and the juice of 2 limes; serve sprinkled with coriander, removing the makrut leaves and lemongrass.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 4–5 listů makrutu na 1 l vývaru
- Solvent:
- krátké povaření natrhaných listů ve vývaru; listy se nejedí
- Shelf life:
- 2 dny v lednici
- Target compounds:
- silice listů (citronellal, citronellol) přechází do horkého vývaru; delší var aroma rozbíjí
Notes
A kitchen recipe. The makrut leaves are torn to release their scent and removed before serving — they are tough. No health claims.
Why it works
Makrut leaves smell different from the rind: the leaf oil is mostly citronellal, while the rind holds beta-pinene, sabinene and limonene — as the review by Agouillal et al. 2017 summarises. Tearing the leaf opens the oil glands and a short simmer carries the aroma into the stock; in a long boil the volatile citronellal escapes. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory data in the review are laboratory-based; the soup is food, not medicine.
Literature
- Agouillal F, Taher ZM, Moghrani H, Nasrallah N, El Enshasy H (2017): A Review of Genetic Taxonomy, Biomolecules Chemistry and Bioactivities of Citrus hystrix DC. Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 14(1):285–305 — Přehled složení silice listů (citronellal) a kůry a předklinických dat.
Related
Makrut lime — Herb card
Culinary use — Processing method detail