This aromatic homemade ginger garlic paste recipe is the beginning of many flavorful Indian recipes. With just three ingredients, you can make a batch of this naturally vegan and gluten-free recipe. You can store it in the refrigerator for use in your recipes.
One of the most used aromatic combinations in Indian cooking is ginger garlic paste. Equally used in vegetarian and meat-based recipes, it imparts a distinct aroma and flavor while enhancing the health benefits of a recipe. This homemade ginger garlic paste recipe is simple, needs only three ingredients, and is preservative-free.
I use a lot of my homemade ginger garlic paste in recipes like my coriander chicken curry recipe, vegetables in tandoori sauce recipe, and Roshani's Chicken Haleem recipe to count a few. You can also use it in any recipe that calls for ginger and garlic separately like this butter garlic mushrooms, my ginger miso ramen, and my easy chicken biryani recipe.
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✨Why you'll love about this recipe?
- Just three ingredients
- No cook recipe. All you need is a blender or food processor
- Takes only 15 minutes to make a batch that can last you a long time.
📋Recipe Ingredients
All you need to make this homemade ginger garlic paste is fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and some oil.
- Ginger - use fresh ginger that looks juicy and not dry. A good trick while buying ginger is to break it apart and see that the inside looks fresh and juicy. If you can find organic ginger, you do not need to peel it.
- Garlic - use fresh, locally grown garlic if possible. This will taste best.
- Oil - you can use any neutral-tasting oil. I have used olive oil in this recipe (not extra virgin)
Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients along with the quantities.
📖Substitutions, Additions and Variations
- Turmeric—Turmeric is also used as a preservative in ginger-garlic pastes instead of oil. It gives the paste a beautiful yellow color. However, it cannot be used in neutral or non-color recipes.
- Green Chili - add green chilis to this and blend together to make ginger garlic and green chili paste which can also be used in recipes like coriander chicken curry, sweet corn curry, and mixed lentil dal.
👩🍳Steps to make this recipe
This recipe comes together in four super easy steps.
Step 1: Prep Ginger and Garlic (Image 1) - Wash the ginger nicely and slice it. If using organic ginger, you do not need to peel it. Just make sure there is no dirt. If peeling ginger, you can use my method, as shown in this video of ginger peeling and storing. Peel the garlic. I usually smash mine under a chef's knife and the skin comes right off.
Step 2: Add the ginger and garlic, along with a splash of oil, to the jar of a high-speed blender (Image 2).
Step 3: Blend the ingredients into a fine paste or until smooth and pale (Image 3). My blender jar has a twister lid that helps scrape the sides. A plunger can also be useful if your paste is too thick.
Step 4: Transfer the fresh, homemade ginger garlic paste to a clean and dry mason jar (Image 4).
💡Vaishali's Tips!
- Use peeled garlic - you can buy already peeled garlic in this recipe. That would cut down the recipe time to around 5 minutes 😊
- Ratio of ginger and garlic - I use a little bit more garlic than ginger for a stronger garlic flavor and a more smooth and creamier texture. But you can totally use equal amounts of ginger and garlic.
- Discoloration of the paste over time—If you use equal amounts of ginger and garlic, your paste might turn slightly green over time. This is completely normal due to chemical reactions that occur in the paste. You can continue using it as usual. Addition of oil prevents this discoloration from happening.
the best!
My favorite blender
From making smoothies to blending up salad dressings, and soups, I completely trust and love my Blendtec Blender.
👉How to use ginger garlic paste
This aromatic combination is the beginning of many Indian recipes, where it is used either in marinades or in tadka (tempering). Marination of coriander chicken, butter chicken, chicken biryani, aloo kebab, etc., all use ginger garlic paste in marinades. I love using it in lot of my lentil and vegetarian curries as well like my malai kofta recipe, in my pav bhaji recipe, and sweet corn soup to name a few.
🫙Storage and freezing instructions
To store - store ginger garlic paste in a clean, dry, air-tight glass jar. Always use a clean, dry spoon to spoon out how much you need. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
To freeze - you can portion 1 teaspoon of the paste into ice cube trays, freeze it and then take out ginger garlic paste cubes and save them in labeled freezer bags. Use withing six months.
❓FAQ
I like to use 1.25:1 ratio of garlic to ginger but 1:1 ratio or equal amounts of garlic and ginger works fine as well.
Ginger garlic paste lasts about three months in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer.
This happens due to chemical reactions that occur when the paste comes in contact with air. Addition of oil (as in this recipe) will prevent the discoloration.
Related
Looking for other Indian Basics recipes like this? Try these:
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked it! Share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thekitchendocs or share on Facebook, too.
Love – Vaishali
Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 125 grams garlic unpeeled
- 100 grams ginger unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Rinse, scrub and slice ginger and peel the garlic.
- Add prepped ginger and garlic along with the oil to the jar of a blender.
- Blend until smooth, creamy, and pale.
- Transfer the paste to a clean and dry glass jar. Store in the refrigerator and use as needed.
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