How to Make Dried Galangal Powder

You can buy powdered galangal in Asian grocers but, as Thai food expert David Thompson says, “the perfume and taste of homemade dried galangal powder is much more alluring and it’s so simple to make.” In Thailand David dries galangal in the open air, as he does prawns. I suggest drying it in the oven while you’re making dried prawns and other dried rhizomes, such as ginger and turmeric. Galangal generally only takes about 2 hours to dry, depending on the oven’s temperature and the moisture level of the sliced galangal. David suggests storing the whole pieces of dried galangal in the fridge and grinding as needed because “the allure of the ground spice lingers only for a few days”. Mature galangal yields about 70% peeled weight and 25% dried weight, so 40g whole galangal yields about 10g ground galangal.

Here’s how easy it is to make dried galangal powder at home. Scroll down for a step-by-step video with David Thompson.

• Turn the oven onto its lowest setting (ideally about 60°C fan-forced).
• Peel and thinly slice galangal.
• Place on a wire rack or tray in a single layer.
• Place in the oven for about 2 hours, until completely dry and brittle.
• Refrigerate dried galangal in an airtight container and grind as needed, no more than a day in advance.