How To Make Ginger Garlic Paste

Mastering the Art of Indian Garlic Ginger Paste: A Homemade Delicacy

Indian cuisine is a symphony of flavors, and at its heart lies the aromatic magic of ginger garlic paste. Whether simmering a curry or preparing a sabzi, this essential blend elevates your dishes.

While you can easily purchase store-bought paste at Indian food stores, creating ginger garlic at home guarantees freshness and tailors it to your taste.

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through crafting and storing this delightful paste for extended culinary adventures.

The Medicinal Magic

Beyond its culinary uses, ginger has been celebrated for its medicinal properties for centuries. Employed in various traditional medicines, including Ayurveda, ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits.

By incorporating ginger garlic paste into your cooking, you not only enhance the flavor but also infuse your dishes with its natural goodness.

Why Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste?

Ginger garlic paste is a quintessential component in Indian cooking, enhancing the taste of various recipes when preparing meals. While chopping ginger and garlic separately is an option, having a jar of homemade ginger paste in your fridge can be a game-changer, especially on busy days. Not only does it save you time, it also ensures the authentic taste of Indian cuisine in every dish.

Known Ingredients

When you make your paste, you have complete control over what goes into it, eliminating concerns about fillers, additives, and preservatives.

Long-lasting

Unlike commercial crushed garlic pastes that use oil and tend to turn bitter over time, you can store ginger garlic paste, which will remain fresh and flavorful.

Better Tasting

The paste maintains its rich taste without adding oil, with less salt, especially when using high-quality organic ginger and fresh, healthy garlic cloves.

The Simple Ginger Garlic Paste Recipe

Ingredients

• Equal parts peeled ginger and peeled garlic

Instructions

1. Preparation: Peel both ginger and garlic. Cut them into small pieces for more effortless blending.
2. Blending: Combine the equal parts of ginger and garlic in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until you achieve a smooth, consistent paste.
3. Preservation: Store the paste in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. For longer preservation, consider a fine paste and freezing it.

Turmeric Indian Ginger Garlic Paste Recipe

Ingredients

• 50g ginger
• 50g garlic
• 5g turmeric
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop the ginger and garlic.
2. Add turmeric powder and the remaining ingredients in a blender until you get a smooth paste.
3. Transfer the paste into a glass jar for storage.
4. Use as much pink salt as needed in your favorite Indian recipes to add rich, authentic flavors.

Preservation Tips for Ginger Garlic Paste: Refrigeration and Freezing

Preserving your homemade ginger garlic paste ensures you always have its vibrant essence at your fingertips. Here are two efficient methods for extended storage:

1. Refrigeration:

• Transfer the paste into a clean glass jar, sealing it tightly to ward off moisture. You can also use an air-tight container.
• Place the container in the refrigerator. Ginger garlic paste stored this way maintains its freshness and shelf life for a few weeks, ready to enhance your dishes anytime.

2. Freezing:

• Utilize an ice cube tray for convenient portions. Fill each ice tray compartment with 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground paste.
• Cover the tray and freeze the paste for 2 to 3 hours, allowing it to solidify into cubes. You can do several ice cube trays at a time.
• Transfer the frozen cubes into a freezer-safe bag. Remember to label the bag with the freezing date for easy tracking.
• Seal the bag and store it in the freezer. Frozen ginger garlic paste retains its flavors and potency for 3-4 months, offering long-term accessibility for culinary endeavors.

By following these methods, you ensure that the essence of ginger and garlic is always within reach, enhancing your recipes with the authentic flavors of homemade ginger garlic paste.

Customizing Your Paste

The beauty of making your ginger garlic paste lies in its adaptability. While the classic ginger garlic paste recipe often calls for equal parts of ginger and garlic, some families prefer a ratio of 1 part ginger to 2 parts garlic. 

Additionally, some recipes incorporate turmeric or salt as preservatives. Experimenting with these proportions allows you to create a paste that perfectly complements your dishes and personal preferences.

Making Ginger Garlic Paste for Delicious Recipes

Many Indian dishes use ginger garlic paste not only because everybody loves ginger, nor because a well-known Indian chef recommends it, but because of the exquisite fusion it creates between the warm, aromatic essence of ginger and the spicy, earthy notes of garlic.

This harmonious combination transcends regional boundaries and culinary preferences, becoming integral to Indian cooking. The magic lies in elevating the taste profile of diverse dishes, imparting an unparalleled depth of flavor.

Here are some recipes for you where you can make ginger garlic paste work for you. You can also try our delicious simmer sauces here.

Palak Paneer Recipe

Palak Paneer is a popular Indian dish made with pureed spinach (palak) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese). Here’s a step-by-step explanation of the easy recipe:

Ingredients

• Fresh spinach leaves (palak)
• Three green chillies
• 1/2 onion
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Oil, for cooking
• Cumin seeds
• Mustard seeds
• Two dry red chilies
• One glass of milk
• Rock salt, to taste
• Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cut into cubes
• Hot parathas or puris for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare the Spinach Puree: Boil fresh spinach leaves with three green chilies, half an onion (chopped), salt to taste, homemade paste, and turmeric powder. Once boiled, cool the mixture and blend it into a smooth paste once boiled. Set aside.
2. Tempering: In a separate pan, heat olive oil again. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and two dry red chilies. Allow them to splutter, releasing their aroma.
3. Add the Spinach Paste: Carefully pour the prepared spinach paste into the pan with the tempered spices. Mix well to incorporate the flavors.
4. Introduce Milk: Pour a glass of milk and stir the mixture. This adds a creamy texture to the dish.
5. Fry the Paneer: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in another pan. Add salt to the paneer cubes and fry them until golden brown. Once fried, place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
6. Combine Paneer with Spinach: Add the fried paneer cubes to the palak mixture. Mix everything, ensuring the paneer is well-coated with the spinach gravy.
7. Simmer: Let the palak paneer simmer for a few minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together and the paneer to absorb the spinach goodness.
8. Serve: Palak Paneer is best enjoyed hot. Serve it with freshly made hot parathas or puris. Add salt to taste. The combination of the garlic flavor, the flavorful spinach, and the soft, creamy paneer is a treat for the taste buds.

Palak Paneer is a nutritious and delectable dish that captures the essence of Indian cuisine. Enjoy your homemade culinary masterpiece!

Succulent Lamb Kebabs with Mint Chutney

Ingredients for Lamb Kebabs

• 1½ kg lamb mince
• 1½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste

Ingredients for Mint Chutney

• 2-3 green chillies
• One bunch of mint leaves
• One big batch of coriander leaves
• Tamarind paste (you can find it in any Indian store)
• A little salt, to taste

Instructions

For Lamb Kebabs

1. Combine lamb mince with turmeric, red chili powder, and ginger garlic paste in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside for marination.
2. Shape the marinated lamb mixture into small oval-shaped kebabs.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry the kebabs until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Place the fried kebabs on paper towels to drain excess oil.

For Mint Chutney

1. Combine green chilies, mint, coriander, tamarind paste, and salt in a grinder jar.
2. Blend the ingredients into a smooth paste. Adjust tamarind paste and salt according to taste.

To Serve

1. Arrange the freshly fried lamb kebabs on a serving plate.
2. Serve the kebabs hot, accompanied by the zesty mint chutney.

These delectable lamb kebabs, with their aromatic spices and refreshing mint chutney, create a compelling culinary experience. Enjoy these flavorful delights as a perfect appetizer or main course at your next gathering!

Spinach Tadka Dhal Recipe