Ginger garlic paste is one of the most essential ingredients in Indian cuisine. It is used for many veg and non-veg dishes. It is always good and fresh if we prepare at home which doesn’t contain any preservative. It can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a number of weeks at most. Ginger and garlic has lot of health benefits if we add it in our regular diet.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup – Ginger (remove skin and chop it roughly)
• 1 cup – Garlic ( peel it and chop it roughly)
• 1 tbsp – Olive oil or canola oil (I use olive oil)
• 1/2 tsp – Salt

Preparation method:

1. Add chopped ginger and garlic to a blender. Blend it to a coarse paste.
2. Now add olive oil and salt. Pulse it several times, wiping down sides to incorporate all of the garlic and ginger. Grind it until the paste has a smooth consistency.
3. Transfer into a clean jar and refrigerate. As long as you keep it refrigerated, this paste will last for several weeks or even a few months.

Notes:

• There are a lot of recipes for ginger-garlic paste with slight differences. Some recipes use water while others use oil. I prefer using oil because the paste doesn’t splatter when you add it to hot oil, plus I like the consistency better.
• Few of my friend use ginger with skin but I heard it is not healthy to have ginger with skin. I always remove skin completely.
• Always use a clean washed and wiped spoon.
• Addition of oil and salt is to retain the original color as well it will act as a natural preservative. If you don’t add oil the color will change to green and believe many of you might have experienced this.