Cooking is one of my passions. I like to make nutritious and tasty foods at home.

Save Time With Ginger-Garlic Paste

Ginger and garlic are often used in cooking, especially in South Asian cuisine. Instead of mincing a small quantity of ginger and garlic each time, however, you can make ginger-garlic paste ahead of time and then refrigerate or freeze it. That way, it will be ready for use whenever you need it, which will save considerable time while cooking.

This pungent ginger-garlic paste has a very special, unique flavor. Not only that, both ginger and garlic are known for their medicinal properties.

Getting the Right Proportions

You can make ginger-garlic paste with an equal quantity of each ingredient, but I tend to prefer a mix that is 60% ginger and 40% garlic. I do this in order to minimize garlic's strong scent. I grind them together with a little water. I don't add salt, but adding dried salt will increase the length of time you can store it. I normally use this paste for up to a week. After it's been in the refrigerator for three days, I will transfer the remainder to the freezer.

How to Increase the Paste's Shelf-Life

This paste will remain fresh for months if you follow the right guidelines while making and storing it.

• People sometimes use white vinegar instead of water when they grind the ingredients together. This will also increase the shelf-life of this paste. However, the chemical reaction may turn the paste blue.
• Adding some cooking oil to this paste also increases the shelf-life of this paste.
• For storing for a longer time, make small packets of this ginger garlic paste and store them in a freezer. Take out the packets one by one at the time of use. This way, you can preserve it for months.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup ginger, pat-dried and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Wash ginger pieces. Pat them dry. Scrape off the skin and roughly chop.
2. Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop.
3. Put both ginger and garlic into a mixer or blender. Grind, adding a very small amount of water to get a smooth paste.
4. Transfer the paste to a glass bowl. Use a dry spoon for transfering the paste.
5. Preserve this paste in a refrigerator if you want to finish it off within 3–4 days. This ginger-garlic paste is as good as using freshly crushed ginger and garlic. If you want to use it for a longer period, store it in small pouches the freezer.

Photo Guide

Step one: Roughly chop ginger and garlic after peeling the skin.

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© 2017 ShailaSheshadri

Comments

ShailaSheshadri (author) from Bengaluru on November 02, 2017:

Yeah..you are right.

Nikki Khan from London on November 02, 2017:

yup,,its really good idea for people who don't have to make fresh everyday.Smile.

ShailaSheshadri (author) from Bengaluru on November 02, 2017:

Thanks Nikki Khan. If you have time, you can make them fresh. Storing it in the refrigerator at least for a week will save time. Also, the taste will be same as the fresh one.

Nikki Khan from London on November 02, 2017:

thanks for the recipe,I make this paste at home normally but instead of keeping it in fridge,I like to make everyday while I cook.

ShailaSheshadri (author) from Bengaluru on November 02, 2017:

Thank you. Many people make and store this paste in the refrigerator. This will surely save the time. I make it in a small quantity that is enough for 2-3 use.

Mary Wickison from Brazil on November 02, 2017:

This is a great time-saving idea. My husband makes an Indonesian stirfry once a week and we always use a combination of garlic and ginger. To have it ready to go, will be a big help.

I didn't realize adding vinegar might turn it blue, thanks for the warning.