Ginger garlic paste is one of the basic and essential condiments in Indian cooking. It is traditionally prepared with fresh ginger root and garlic cloves that impart a fresh aroma, taste, and flavor to most Indian Veg, Chicken, Biryani, and even in Seafood dishes.
The recipe I have shared here explains how to make a fresh vegan-friendly, gluten-free ginger garlic paste at home with natural preservatives that stay good for up to a month in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. The post also covers the best ratio to make the recipe, substitutes, and more tips with detail step-by-step written and video instructions.
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About Ginger Garlic Paste
Ginger Garlic paste is one of the popular and basic flavoring agents used in most Indian dishes. This savory condiment plays an important role in enhancing the most chicken, biryani, curries, and similar Indian recipes. It not only flavors up the food but also helps in good metabolism, and digestion. Not to mention it also naturally remove raw aroma from the meat.
Usually, in most Indian houses people prefer to make the required amount of paste only if the recipes call for it. Even I have the habit of grinding the paste side by side while cooking to include it in my recipes.
Even though using the fresh paste delivers a fresh aroma and flavor to the foods, making them ahead saves little time in your kitchen. And it delivers similar results as the fresh ones if you follow some simple tricks and tips.
Ingredients
The ingredients that you will need for this recipe are pretty simple and you may find them in most grocery stores.
- Ginger - Indian ginger also known as Chinese Ginger. You may find this variety in most Indian grocery stores. I have used regular ginger but you may also use organic ginger which is more intense in flavor and taste. But if you plan to use organic then use ginger and garlic in a 1: 2 ratio
- Garlic - Use fresh garlic cloves and the cloves that are big in their size makes the peeling easier
- Oil - I have used canola oil here as a natural preservative. You could also use vegetable oil and similar other neutral-tasting cooking oils. Adding oil helps the paste stay good for up to a month. And you won't note any discoloration or darkening of the paste as well. Apart from oil, you can also use turmeric, salt, and vinegar as a natural preservative to make this paste.
What is the ratio to make ginger garlic paste?
The ratio plays an important role when making the ginger garlic paste. Usually, there are two varieties of ginger, one is regular and the other is organic. The organic ones are naturally intense in their flavor, taste, and color. So if you are planning to use organic ginger in your recipe then I suggest you go for a 1:2 ratio. That is if you take 100 gm of ginger then go for 200 gm of garlic to make the paste.
I have used regular ginger here, which is not that intense like the organic ones. So I have taken a 1:1 ratio of regular ginger and garlic(i.e 200 gm ginger to 200 gm garlic) as mentioned in the recipe card below.
How to make Ginger Garlic paste?
The recipe that I have shared here is a homemade ginger garlic paste from scratch. And the quantity fills 500 gm jar. So in this section let us see how to make this paste with easy step-by-step written and video instructions.
To make the paste, first, wash the fresh ginger roots and scrape the skin with a spoon or knife. Chop the ginger into medium size and keep it aside for later use.
Next, peel the garlic and keep them ready to blend.
Now in a blender jar, add in the ginger, garlic, and oil. Grind everything until it turns smooth paste-like consistency.
Now the paste is ready for you to use in your recipes. Store the paste immediately in a clean dry jar and store it in the refrigerator for future use.
Substitute
You can always use freshly chopped ginger and garlic instead of paste if it is not really handy. For instance, if the recipe calls for 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste, then you can substitute it with 2 tsp of finely chopped ginger and 3 tsp of finely chopped garlic to get a similar result.
Even though the freshly ground paste gives a rich aroma and taste, you could also use ginger and garlic powder to achieve a similar flavor and taste.
Tips
Ratio plays an important role in making this ginger garlic paste to achieve a perfect taste, texture, and flavor. If you are choosing organic ginger then opt for a 1: 2 ratio that will help to avoid bitterness in the paste.
If you choose regular ginger then go for a 1: 1 ratio of ginger and garlic.
Choosing a big size garlic cloves makes peeling much easier than the smaller ones.
You could always use oil, turmeric, salt, and vinegar as natural preservatives to keep the paste good for up to a month. I have used only oil here but you can also use these combinations of preservatives to make your paste.
Recipes with Ginger Garlic Paste
Here I have shared some delicious Non-Veg and veg recipes that are prepared with ginger garlic paste below.
Similar Recipes
You could also find similar recipes below and more at Condiments Recipes.
- Vindaloo Paste
- Thai Red Curry Paste
- Green Curry Paste
- Yellow Curry Paste
- Panang Curry Paste
- Tamarind Paste
- Garam Masala
- Szechuan Sauce
- Chili Sauce
- Garlic Butter Sauce
Storage suggestions
This ginger garlic paste stays good for up to a month in the refrigerator in an air-tight closed jar. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. To freeze, always make sure to store them in individual serving bags, so that you can use them in your recipes whenever needed.
Ginger Garlic Paste Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this ginger garlic paste recipe that I hope will help you to make a fresh batch from scratch at home.
📖 Recipe
Ginger Garlic Paste
Ingredients
- 1 cup Ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup Garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup Oil, neutral-tasting cooking oil
Instructions
To Prepare Ginger Garlic paste
- Take a 200 gm ginger and wash thoroughly with cold water and peel their skin with a spoon or knife. And chop the ginger pieces into medium size pieces and keep them aside
- Peel the garlic cloves and set them aside well. You can also cut the ends of the garlic and put them in the closed jar and shake them to loosen the skin
- Now in a blender, add the chopped ginger, garlic, and oil
- Close the lid and grind them well until it turns into a smooth paste
- Remove the ginger garlic paste and now it is ready for you to use in your recipes
To Store
- Store the ginger garlic paste in a clean dry airtight jar and store up to a month in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer
Video
Notes
- The ratio plays an important role in making the ginger garlic paste to achieve a perfect taste, texture, and flavor. If you are choosing organic ginger then go for a 1: 2 ratio that will help to avoid bitterness due to the intense flavor in the variety
- If you choose regular ginger then I suggest using a 1: 1 ratio of ginger and garlic to achieve the best results
- Always try to choose a big size garlic cloves which makes the peeling process much easier than the smaller ones
- I have used only canola oil here but you can also use the combination of neutral-tasting cooking oil, turmeric, salt, and vinegar as natural preservatives to keep the paste good for up to a month
- Ginger garlic paste shared here stays good for up to 1 month in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer
- Ginger garlic paste is used in most chicken, biryani, and other vegetarian dishes to flavor up the taste of the food
Nutrition
FAQ
Ginger garlic paste is one of the basic condiments used in most Indian recipes. The paste is traditionally prepared with fresh ginger and garlic either to use it fresh in the recipes or to store it for future use. It is usually used to enhance the flavor and taste of the dish. And it is naturally vegan-friendly and aids in good digestion. It also removes the raw aroma from chicken and other meat dishes.
The ratio of ginger and garlic is mostly 1:2 if you prefer to choose organic ginger and 1:1 if you would like to use regular ginger for this recipe. Since organic ginger is naturally intense in its taste, aroma, and flavor using an equal ratio will deliver bitterness in the paste.
Usually, ginger garlic paste is added after sauting the onions. Always make sure to saute until it turns aromatic and fragrant without burning them. This helps to enhance the taste and flavor of the dish.
Usually, garlic that is chopped, minced, or made into a paste may react with particles in the air which eventually turns them green in color. It also turns to green color when it reacts with ingredients such as lemon, vinegar that are acidic in nature. But it is considered safe to consume.
Adding a lot of ginger garlic paste than the suggested amount delivers a bitter taste to your dish. The ratio of ginger and garlic also makes a huge impact in turning your food bitter.
I really hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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