Ginger Garlic Paste Recipe - Swasthi's Recipes (2024)

Ginger garlic paste is one of the most basic essentials of Indian cooking. Apart from imparting a unique aroma to the foods it also aids in digestion and helps tenderize meats. While reaching out for a jar of ginger garlic paste from an Indian store may be an easier option, but you won’t get the same unique and refreshing flavors like the homemade paste. Your homemade ginger garlic paste is clean, pure and is free from preservatives. In this post I share the easiest way to make ginger garlic paste that you can store for several months.

About Ginger Garlic Paste

Ginger garlic paste is nothing but a spice blend made with fresh ginger root and garlic cloves. Sometimes various ingredients like oil, salt, vinegar and even turmeric are added to it as a preservative.

If you cook Indian food often, having a jar of ginger garlic paste in your refrigerator, is a great convenience. You don’t need to rinse, peel, chop and crush small quantities of ginger and garlic every time you cook.

In India, most traditional households crush ginger & garlic fresh in a mortar & pestle whenever required. I agree that nothing beats the flavor of the fresh paste & it really makes a difference to your final dish.

For many years, I have made ginger garlic paste fresh for every dish I cooked. Most recipes call for sautéing the onions, during which I would peel, grate and crush the ginger garlic right on the chopping board. This is one easier way but you still have to spend some time doing all of that.

About this Recipe

This 15 mins recipe will help you make ginger garlic paste enough for 4 to 6 weeks of cooking. I prefer to make smaller batches but you can double or triple the recipe if you prefer.

This recipe is simple and just needs 3 ingredients. Fresh ginger, garlic and a splash of oil. A lot of people also add turmeric or salt as a preservative but I don’t because this is how my mom always made & it keeps good for several months.

I use equal parts of ginger and garlic. But this varies from every family and some people also use 1 part ginger and 2 parts garlic. This depends on the kind of ginger and garlic you use. Read my pro tips for more info.

For more similar recipes you can check
Sambar powder
Rasam powder
Biryani masala powder
Idli podi
Garam masala

How to Make Ginger Garlic Paste (Stepwise Photos)

1. Wash ginger under running. If required use a brush to get rid of mud deposits, if any. Pat dry completely. We use equal amounts of garlic and ginger. Here I use 125 grams each.

2. Peel the garlic cloves. Chop the ginger to small pieces.

3. Add all the ingredients to a blender jar.

4. Turmeric, salt and oil are natural preservatives. Using any one of these is good enough to keep the ginger garlic paste good.

5.Make a fine paste until it turns pale and smooth.

Storage

Store ginger garlic paste in a bottle and always use dry spoons to scoop out a little when needed. For more details on storage in fridge or freezer check the recipe card below.

Pro Tips

Preservative used: Oil, turmeric and salt are the 3 ingredients which act as natural preservatives. But I feel oil is good enough which also enhances the aroma of the ground paste.

Ratio of ginger & garlic: There are different kinds of ginger root available in the market. The hybrid ginger and the non-hybrid kind. The non-hybrid kind has a very stronger aroma and taste. When used in equal quantities, the paste may lend a bitter taste. So I use 2 portions of garlic for 1 portion of ginger. If using hybrid ginger, 1:1 proportions work well.

Test Batch: If you are a newbie, run a small test batch to see how it works for you. After making your test batch cook something Indian and checkout the flavors.
If the ginger garlic paste is too gingery, blend the test batch with more garlic. Make a note of each addition so you arrive at a right proportion that suits you. If it is too garlicky, blend with more ginger

Why does ginger garlic paste turn green?

Garlic when crushed or chopped is prone to react with the minerals in the air or with the metals that it comes in contact with. Crushed garlic reacts with acidic ingredients. Sometimes pink salt, vinegar, lemon etc can also cause the discoloration in ground garlic.

So it is absolutely normal for the ground garlic to turn green or bluish green and is still safe to consume. For more details please use google search.

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