Kaffir lime, also known as Mauritius papeda and makrut lime, is a fruit that is native to tropical Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. This is an ingredient that you will find used in some of the most exotic restaurants, especially those that offer fusion cooking with an assortment of dishes being inspired by South East Asia. You can also buy this ingredient from specialist stores and use it in your meals at home. Let us explore further how to use kaffir limes in cooking.
You will find that kaffir limes are used in many dishes that are produced all around Asia. The leaves of the fruit are most widely used in cooking; in Cambodian cuisine, they are used to create the base paste called Krueng, whilst they are also used in Thai and Lao food, especially for dishes such as Tom Yum. They are also found in Indonesian cuisine, in dishes such as Soto Ayam, and Vietnamese cuisine to add fragrance to chicken. This is one of the best ways to use them at home; with chicken dishes. If you take a look at how to make a chicken salad online, you will see lots of exciting recipes, and you can add kaffir limes to give the chicken a fresh and exotic flavour. The leaves are extremely versatile as they can be frozen and they can also be used either fresh or dried. The rind of the lime is also used in Thai and Lao cuisine when creating a curry paste to add a more astringent and aromatic flavour.
There are other uses for kaffir limes; the oil is often used in perfumes, whilst the rings and juice are utilised in conventional medicine in some countries across Asia. The juice of the fruit is also used in shampoo, with many people believing that it is an effective way to kill head lice. In Thailand, the juice is used as a cleanser for hair and clothing, whilst slices of the fruit are mixed with lustral water in Cambodia for religious ceremonies.
From Californian cuisine to Vietnamese cuisine, there are a lot of restaurants that will use kaffir limes when they serve a fusion of beach flavours, which means using an assortment of exotic ingredients. You will find Kaffir limes in several dishes, like Fried Crispy Calamari where the lime leaves add an interesting depth of flavour to the golden squid rings. As mentioned earlier, Kaffir limes are widely used in Thai cuisine and that is why they were incorporated into dishes like the Thai Style Deep Fried Whole Snapper. With this dish, the lime is combined with different flavours like green peppercorn, scallion, and lemongrass for a citrusy dish with an added kick. It is also incorporated into side dishes like Coconut Jasmine Rice and Baby Potato Salad. This is, again, something that you can easily make at home.