This effortless 1-ingredient ginger paste is made by simply grinding fresh ginger-no peeling required if you're using organic! It freezes beautifully and comes to the rescue whenever your cooking calls for a punch of zesty ginger. Just pop out a spoonful, and you're all set to add instant warmth and depth of flavor to any dish!
Many Indian recipes call for ginger garlic paste, but I prefer to keep garlic paste and ginger paste separately. The reason is that in my recipes, I don't always use both together. For example, dishes like kala chana rely solely on ginger, and hence its more practical to have them stored individually.
Secondly, these frozen ginger cubes are incredibly versatile. Not only do they save time while cooking , but they also come in handy for beverages like masala chai or jal jeera or salad dressings. Instead of grating fresh ginger each time, I can simply drop a cube into boiling water.
Ginger Paste
Ginger paste is simply fine ground ginger and an excellent way to preserve fresh ginger, which starts to dry out in the refrigerator after a week. It's a staple in Indian cooking, commonly used in curries, lentils, and marinades to impart its signature warm and slightly peppery flavor.
My homemade ginger paste is easy to prepare by blending fresh ginger to a fine ground consistency. There's no need of peeling the ginger. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks or frozen in small portions for longer use.
There's no rocket science to this recipe. The only tip is to avoid grinding the ginger at super high speed or continuously, as this can cause its juices to run out. Once the juices run out, the pulp is tasteless. The key is to grind it just right until you achieve a juicy, soft paste with minimal stringiness. There were always be some strings left behind but the good thing is that small strings cook down and aren't unpleasant to chew.
Just in case you aren't buying organic and need to peel ginger, this video shows you the cool ways including a suggestion on how to use the ginger skins.
Instructions
- Step 1: Take your fresh ginger and inspect it for any mold or soft spots. I prefer using organic ginger, so I simply scrub the skin thoroughly to remove any dirt.
- Step 2: No peeling needed if you are using organic ginger. Chop it into manageable slices/ pieces before grinding to make it easy on your blender jar.
- Step 3: Add the ginger to your blender jar. Do not add water or oil. Pulse at intervals instead of running it continuously. The ginger should have a fine soft pasty after grinding.
- Step 4: Pulse at intervals instead of running it continuously. The ginger should have a fine soft pasty after grinding.
How To Store & Use
Transfer the ginger paste to an airtight container for upto 3-5 days. For easy freezing, portion it into reusable silicone trays.
Always use a clean dry spoon to scoop the refrigerated ginger paste. You can add frozen ginger paste cubes directly to your hot dishes. For marinades, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes or microwave for 5-10 seconds before using.
Homemade Ginger Paste (1 ingredient)
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454g) fresh ginger preferably organic
Instructions
- Take your fresh ginger and inspect it for any mold or soft spots. I prefer using organic ginger, so I simply scrub the skin thoroughly to remove any dirt.
- No peeling needed if you are using organic ginger. Chop it into manageable slices/ pieces before grinding to make it easy on your blender jar.
- Add the ginger to your blender jar. Do not add water or oil. Pulse at intervals instead of running it continuously. The ginger should have a fine, soft paste like consistency after grinding.
- Transfer the ginger paste to an airtight container for upto 10 days. For easy freezing, portion it into silicone trays.
- How To Use - Always use a clean dry spoon to scoop the refrigerated ginger paste. You can add frozen ginger paste cubes directly to your hot dishes. For marinades, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes or microwave for 5-10 seconds before using in curries, marinades or even, for making chai.
Carol L says
Should I let my frozen ginger thaw before trying this?
Thank you for the recipe. I have a couple of recipes that call for oil and maybe salt to be added…what are the pros and cons of doing it this way?
Tanvi Srivastava says
Use fresh ginger for this recipe. If you want to use oil or salt, yes you can but then ginger paste cannot be used in drinks or chai(which I use it for). Avoid adding too much oil else the paste gets greasy.