Ginger and garlic paste is used for adding flavor to most Indian recipes. Use it to form a base for curries or for marinades.
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One of my absolute essentials for most Indian recipes, I simply cannot do without ginger-garlic paste in my kitchen! You will see that many of my recipes call for ginger-garlic paste and I’ve received so many questions about it, whether it can be substituted with minced ginger and garlic and so on…
So this post for ginger garlic paste is to help you get familiar with this pantry staple – if you cook a lot of Indian food, you’ll want to make and keep a small bottle of this in the fridge – it will come in handy for so many recipes – some of my most popular recipes, such as butter chicken, paneer tikka masala, etc., call for ginger garlic paste, as recipes such as chicken biryani and paneer tikka – where the marinade is made with ginger garlic paste.
Why should I make this recipe?
- Super convenient, keep a small batch of ginger-garlic paste handy in the fridge, instead of mincing ginger and garlic fresh for a recipe
- Used in a wide range of Indian recipes – from curries to appetizers to rice dishes such as biryani
- Adds so much flavor to a dish, tenderizes meat, and is great for the gut!
What goes into this recipe
To make ginger garlic paste, you will need organic ginger, garlic, and vegetable oil.
Step by Step Recipe Instructions
Start by peeling the ginger and garlic. I find it easiest to peel ginger with a paring knife - you can also peel it with a teaspoon. Another option is to simply leave the skin on (use organic ginger if you want to leave the skin on). Wash the ginger thoroughly and then use it.
For making ginger garlic paste, I prefer to use more ginger than garlic. I have used 200 grams of peeled ginger and 150 grams of peeled garlic to make this recipe.
Add the peeled ginger and garlic to a blender jar. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Blend until you have a uniform paste.
Now you could either transfer the ginger garlic paste into an air-tight glass jar to store in the fridge, or transfer the paste to an ice cube tray to freeze in the freezer.
I kept half the batch in the fridge in a glass jar and transferred the rest into an ice cube tray to freeze. After the ginger garlic paste is frozen overnight, you can transfer the cubes into a ziplock back and keep the bag in the freezer. This will keep for several months.
Use ginger garlic paste as needed add a teaspoon of paste as needed to your recipes, you can also a frozen cube of ginger garlic paste to your curries without the need for thawing it in advance.
FAQs
Ginger garlic paste is used for tenderizing ingredients and giving them an added depth of flavor. It used to form the base of many curries and stews. Most recipes will call for adding it at the beginning of the recipe, along with other aromatics. Take a look at this recipe for Chicken Korma, where the chicken pieces are marinated in ginger garlic paste before adding it to cook in the gravy.
Ginger garlic paste can stay for up to three weeks in the fridge if kept in an airtight glass jar. You can also transfer the paste to an ice cube tray and freeze it for several months. Transfer the frozen cubes into a ziplock bag for easy access.
Ginger garlic paste is a handy substitute for recipes that call for both ginger and garlic. You can use either pounded or minced fresh ginger and garlic in recipes that call for ginger and garlic. Do not use ginger or garlic powder as a substitute are they are not as potent.
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Ginger Garlic Paste
Equipment
- Blender or spice grinder
Ingredients
- 200 grams Ginger root see notes
- 150 grams Garlic
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Peel the ginger root (or leave the peel on if you are using organic ginger root), peel the garlic. Rinse and pat dry.
- Add the ginger, garlic, and oil to a blender jar.
- Blend until it forms a uniform paste. There is no need to add water.
- Transfer to an airtight glass gar or to ice cube trays to freeze.
Notes
- You can also keep the ginger peel on if you are using organic ginger. Make sure the ginger root is rinsed well with water before using it.
- You can add salt to the ginger and garlic paste, however, it is not necessary. Oil and salt both act as preservatives and keep the paste for longer.
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