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    Home » Recipes » Kitchen Tips

    KAFFIR LIME LEAVES 101: What You Need to Know

    Published: Jun 26, 2019 · Modified: Jan 4, 2021 by Pailin Chongchitnant · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Kaffir lime, also known as "makrut lime" is one of the most important ingredients in Thai cuisine. But most of the time we only use the leaves rather than the fruit. In this video I talk about everything you need to know to start cooking with kaffir lime leaves. I talk about what it is, how to use, how to store, and how to substitute.

    What about kaffir lime fruit?

    From the fruit, we only use the zest, which as you can see in the video is quite thick so you can just use a knife to slice off the green part and you don't have to bother with the zester. When zesting kaffir limes try your best not to get the white pith because it's bitter.

    As for the flesh on the inside, kaffir limes have a ton of seeds and do not have very much juice at all, so we never really use it in cooking. If you have the fruit, and you can coax out some juice out of it, you can use it to add acidity to your dish, but it is very sour so use sparingly!

    For more videos on other Thai ingredients

    Check out my Thai Ingredient Playlist where I have informational videos about the most important ingredients in Thai cuisine.

    Recipes with Kaffir Lime Leaves

    Want to start cooking with kaffir lime leaves? Here are some recipes that use them in various different ways:

    Simmering: Tom Ka Gai - Coconut Chicken Soup

    Toasting: Laab Gai - Northeastern Ground Chicken Salad 

    Stir-frying and julienned: Panang Curry

    Or anything "Tom Yum"! Do a search on the site for any recipe containing the word "tom yum" and it's going to have kaffir lime leaves in it. I have everything from the traditional Tom Yum Goong soup to the fusion Tom Yum Pizza!

    Watch The Full Video!

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    1. Sarah Leah Whitson

      July 13, 2023 at 9:44 am

      where can i buy makrut lime leaves??

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        July 18, 2023 at 4:49 pm

        Anywhere you buy your Thai or Southeast Asian ingredients. Check out this page to find a store near you https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/locate-a-thai-grocer/

        Reply
    2. David R

      May 25, 2023 at 12:01 am

      The Makrut lime fruit can be used in a gin and tonic.

      Reply
    3. Shan

      June 12, 2021 at 11:42 pm

      Hi, we normally washed and freeze them in bulk and put them in soup or you can do desserts with them. You can fried them and put on top of fried chicken pork etc. Eating them fried is nice and crispy. You just have to remove the rip in the middle.

      Reply
    4. Richard Pomerantz

      February 12, 2021 at 11:13 am

      HELP! A friend of my wife's gave her a kaffir lime plant years ago and we have been using it quite often. One question, and it might not seem like much of a problem, but we have tons of leaves and the plant is quite healthy. Any suggestions on how to use them when you are over-loaded with them. I like your suggestion to fry and make a powder. Any others? Thanks and regards from big fans from Chicagoland.

      Reply
      • Shan

        June 12, 2021 at 11:39 pm

        Hi, we normally washed and freeze them in bulk and put them in soup or you can do desserts with them. You can fried them and put on top of fried chicken pork etc. Eating them fried is nice and crispy. You just have to remove the rip in the middle.

        Reply

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