Ginger garlic is a key ingredient for Indian cooking. The unique savory taste of Indian cuisine comes from ginger & garlic. I am sharing an authentic ginger-garlic paste recipe along with storing instructions.
Making Ginger-Garlic Paste from Scratch:
Having ginger and garlic paste on hand can make Indian recipes easy to whip up. Making it from scratch ahead of time can cut the cooking time in half. You want to focus on those delicious curries and biryani recipes rather than meal prep.
It is easy to purchase this paste from the grocery store but it does not have the same fresh taste. Also, store bought GG comes with artificial preservatives. Besides, the taste of Indian food just doesn't taste authentic with store bought paste.
What’s In This Recipe:
Fresh Ginger & Garlic, oil, and salt is all you need to create some phenomenal Indian curries and Biryani.
- Ginger: fresh ginger is easily available at any major grocery store. about a palm full of root will get you 1 cup of chopped ginger. That's about somewhere between 4 to 5 Oz.
- Garlic: About 4 to 5 bulbs of garlic will give you a cup full of garlic cloves.
- Oil: oil is a natural preservative ingredient. For many years, my mother has used peanut oil or vegetable oil as a preservative in GG paste. I prefer to use olive oil. However, any oil of your choice would be fine.
- Salt: Salt is a great natural preservative. I like to use pink salt or sea salt but any table salt is great. We won't be adding a ton of salt to the paste. Just about ¼ teaspoon goes a long way and your curries won't be salty either ;).
How to make GG Paste:
- Thoroughly wash the ginger root under running water. Peel ginger with the help of a small carving knife or scrape the ginger with the edge of a spoon to peel. Cut it into ½ inch to ¼ inch pieces.
- Separate the garlic cloves from the bulb and peel the garlic.
- Combine chopped ginger, peeled garlic, and salt in a good blender or a food processor. Add oil slowly while blending the ingredients.
- Blend it until smooth. Food processor results are coarse, which is just fine. Add more oil if needed for blending.
- Store the paste in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. If you don't use ginger garlic everyday like me, you may freeze it.
- Freeze about one tablespoon in an ice cube tray. Freeze the GG then transfer the frozen cubes in a freezer friendly bag. Use as needed for the recipe.
How to Cook with GG Paste:
If you love South Asian food then you can use up the GG paste within few weeks cooking all the delicious curry. You can use it in any recipe that calls for ginger garlic paste. You can also use it for recipes that call for minced ginger and garlic. For instance, I like to use ginger garlic paste for Asian noodles, Thai curries, Malaysian and Indonesian curries, and add to spices to create marinades for meat. Add GG paste while sautéing the veggies and spices for a delicious savory stir fry.
Indian Recipes to Cook with GG Paste:
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need:
Ginger Garlic Paste for Indian Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped Ginger
- 1 cup peeled Garlic Cloves
- ¼ cup Oil more if needed
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and clean the ginger under running water. Scrape ginger with the help of a small carving knife or scrape the ginger with the edge of a spoon to peel. Cut it into ½ inch to ¼ inch pieces.
- Separate the garlic cloves from the bulb and peel the garlic. Peeling 4 to 5 garlic bulbs can be a pain. See the tips below for easy ways to peel the garlic.
- Combine chopped ginger, peeled garlic, and salt in a good blender or a food processor. Add oil slowly while blending the ingredients. Scrape down the ingredients with a silicone spatula if needed.
- Blend it until smooth. Add more oil if needed for blending. Food processor results are slightly coarse.
- Store the paste in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. If you don't use ginger garlic everyday like me, you may freeze it.
- Freeze about one tablespoon in an ice cube tray. Freeze the GG then transfer the frozen cubes in a freezer friendly bag. Use as needed for recipes.
Notes
Tip: Soak garlic cloves in warm water and cover the bowl. Let it stand for half hour to an hour. This will make the peels swell and you can slide the cloves right off the peel between your fingers.
Nutrition
Servings: 1 Tablespoon | Calories: 31 Kcal | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 21mg | Total Carbohydrate 3.3g | Dietary Fiber 0.4g | Total Sugars 0.1g | Protein 0.5g | Calcium 11mg | Iron 0mg | Potassium 53mg Tried this Recipe? Tag me on Instagram @feastwithsafiya #feastwithsafiya
Mother, Wife, Indian-American born and raised in the small town of India. Former IT employee now a food blogger. A self-taught food photographer.
I choose to cook with Whole Foods and Clean Ingredients as my Mother did. I am a firm believer in cooking meals with lots of vegetables, little meat, and generous spices.
Anonymous says
Very useful