You're right; some of these ingredients can be quite intricate to handle, especially for beginners. Here are some tips that might be useful:
- For lemongrass, remove the outer layers first as they can be tough and woody. The inner parts are tender enough to be chopped finely or crushed for maximum flavour. An alternative is to bruise them instead of chopping, which helps release their fragrance without changing the shape of the ingredients - great for soups!
- Galangal shares similarities with ginger, but it's denser, so peeing and grating it might be more challenging. I'd recommend slicing it thinly or pounding it with a mortar and pestle. That way, you can also control the amount of fragrance and spice you want in your dish.
- As for five spice powder, a little truly goes a long way. It's quite a strong blend, so start with a small amount first, and remember - you can always add more! It's fantastic when marinating meat or adding depth to braises.
- Garlic is best fried slightly before adding other ingredients for a more subtle sweetness. This step brings a lovely aroma without burning the garlic too.
Remember, it's also fun to experiment and adapt these ingredients to your own taste preferences!