Ginger and Garlic Paste is the pantry essential ingredient in the kitchen, because plenty of Indian recipes call for the use of Ginger and Garlic. Some curries need only garlic, some just ginger and some other both ginger and garlic. We use these two ingredients in different forms in our curries, sometimes crushed, sometimes sliced or chopped, and at other times in paste form. So many south Indian curries call for crushed garlic. Ginger and Garlic are the two most key ingredients we see in almost all Indian curries; both in non -vegetarian dishes and in vegetarian dishes, like biriyanies, pulavs etc (give links here).
Today I am presenting before you the very easy Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste. It takes only a couple of minutes to whip up. It’s not necessary to go for Homemade Ginger and garlic paste every time. Most of us do it while we are in hurry to save time in cooking. Otherwise you can make it freshly just before starting cooking. Take the required amount of ginger and garlic, wash, peel and chop it to rough pieces and pound it with the help of a mortar and pestle. Done!
These days, we get ginger garlic paste in most of the super markets. But it is so handy if we have ginger garlic paste in the refrigerator, which cut short the mincing time on busy days. I make it for two weeks and if anyone opens my refrigerator, can see one bottle of ginger garlic paste. I use Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste only on Sundays, as it is a holiday for the maid. So when she is there I always go for making fresh Ginger Garlic Paste. Once you start making this at home, you would get to habituate it and would never turn back. =D If you prefer to make less amount of Ginger Garlic Paste, take only half of the amount given in the ingredients section. You can even make these pastes separately and store in separate bottles, so that, if the recipe calls for using either one of it, you can use it right away and if it needs both, combine it.. That’s all..
Ginger and Garlic are having many health benefits. It stimulates immune system, it treats diabetes, it helps heal dysentery, bronchitis, nausea, vomiting etc. Garlic is highly nutritious and has very few calories. It is good for our bones and also for the smooth functioning of the immune system. It reduces blood pressure, cholesterol level which may lower the risk of heart disease. That’s the reason I never constraint with the use of garlic in my home.
The key success part of this recipe is to take equal amount of Ginger and Garlic. Adding oil helps the ginger garlic paste stay fresh for a longer time. Some people use turmeric powder too while making this paste. Oil and turmeric powder act as natural preservative agents here. But personally I prefer not adding it, as the basic colour of the ginger garlic paste gets changed. Some people make Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste in big batches and store in the freezer. But I don’t prefer to do it.
We get to see Ginger Garlic Paste of many brands in the market. They use a lot of preservatives which is having a strong smell that puts me off. I used to buy these and what I have understood is that each brand differs in its taste, colour and texture. So I stopped completely going for the store bought ginger garlic paste and started making it at home these days. Wah, what a difference in taste, texture and colour!! Store bought Ginger Garlic Paste are never equal to the freshly ginger garlic paste we make it at home!!
There are various methods to remove the skin of garlic. You can just cut the garlic in the middle and remove its skin. It’s so easy. That’s the method I use. Yesterday in facebook, I saw a video which shows some of the tips which would be so useful in our life. One among those tips was how to remove garlic skin. It is like this.. That guy put the whole garlic bulb in a bottle, closed the lid and shook it well. The whole garlic skin got removed in no time!! I too found out that tip so useful. You please try that method and let me know.
I prefer not to remove the skin of ginger since it is so good for our health. That’s what I heard. I always prefer to add 1 extra garlic in my cooking since it is medicinal. If you prefer to reduce the quantity of garlic, take ¾ th cup of garlic : 1 cup of ginger.
Here are few dishes I prepared using Ginger Garlic Paste.
So let us see how we can make Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste.
Shelf Life: 2 weeks.
Ingredients for making Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste:
1 cup Ginger peeled and chopped
1 cup Garlic peeled and chopped
1/3 cup Oil
1 tsp. Salt
How to make Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste:
Take the required portion of Ginger and Garlic (1:1 ratio would work out well). Soak ginger in little water for some time to soften the skin. Then chop Ginger roughly. Rinse in cold water, pat dry it. Remove the skin of garlic and cut into rough pieces.
Take a pan and pre heat oil for few seconds and keep it aside. Take a mixer bowl and put in ginger, garlic, give a pulse, add salt, pour in oil at different intervals of blending process to enable the ginger garlic paste turn smooth. Blend it till the mixture turns mild white in colour. Your Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste is now ready. Transfer it in to an air tight jar and place it in the refrigerator.
My Recipe Notes on Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste:
1. Use only fresh ginger and garlic which are having smooth covering, and not the wrinkled ones. Keep the skin on Ginger which is medicinal. I prefer that way, if you want, you can peel it off.
2. Make sure that ginger and garlic are completely dry before you start the work. You can do this work on the previous day.
3. You can use little turmeric powder while grinding, as it retains the colour of the ginger garlic paste for a long time. But personally I don’t prefer it that way. Oil and turmeric powder act as natural preservatives here. Adding oil is having another advantage, it would not splutter while you cook. You can use even vinegar while grinding which gives more shelf life.
4. At any cost you should not use water to make the grinding process easier. Instead use only oil.
5. Store ginger garlic paste in a clean, sterilized and air tight glass bottles or in plastic jars. If your jars are not air tight, the other food stuffs you keep in the refrigerator would get the smell of this paste. Use it within 2 or 3 weeks.
6. Always use only dry spoon to scoop out ginger garlic paste from the bottle. This will increase the shelf life of the same. If you use a wet spoon, the moisture on your spoon would make the paste spoil fast.
7. After making this paste, keep always in the coldest area of the refrigerator, otherwise it will get damaged fast. When you need it, take it out of the refrigerator and keep it back immediately after your use.
8. It’s better not to freeze ginger and garlic paste. But in case you want to freeze the paste use the cubed ice trays. When you need it, take one or two cubes as per your requirement. It’s so easy..
Cheers.. Seena.
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ഹോംമെയ്ഡ് ജിൻജർ ഗാർളിക് പേസ്റ്റ് റെസിപ്പി.
Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste.
Description
Nothing beats freshly prepared Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste, which is an essential ingredient in most of the Indian curries.