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, freezer or at room temperature without refrigeration, you can check the recipe card above.
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.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Ginger Garlic Paste
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 125 grams ginger (4.5 Ounce)
- 125 grams garlic (4.5 Ounce, peeled)
- 1 tablespoon oil (I use coconut oil)
optional
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric (or haldi / optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse ginger under running water. Pat dry and peel it. Chop to half to 1 inch pieces.
- Cut off both the ends of garlic. Peel them.
- You can also add them to a box or tight lid container. Cover the jar and shake it vigorously for a minute. You will see the skin of the garlic loosens or comes off. This tip works only with certain kinds of garlic.
- You can also pour some oil over the garlic and rub off to loosen the skin. (This is how we peel garlic when we make pickles.)
How to Make Ginger Garlic Paste
- Add ginger, garlic and oil to a grinder/ blender jar. Blend well until smooth and light in color. Scrape off the sides and repeat blending until you see a smooth mixture.
- Transfer the ginger garlic paste to a clean dry glass jar. Refrigerate ginger garlic paste up to a month or 6 months in a freezer.
- To Freeze, transfer to ice tray and knock the tray to the counter a few times. Cover with a cling wrap. Once set transfer them to a ziplock bag. Use as desired whenever needed by defrosting one cube each time.
Storing ginger garlic paste at room temperature without refrigeration.
- Dry ginger and garlic in sunlight for 2 to 3 hours until both look moisture free. Dry the blender jar and glass bottle too completely.
- Make a fine paste of the ingredients. Add oil at regular intervals if needed until it turns smooth. Store this in the dry glass bottle or jar. Pour 1 tsp of oil on top.
- Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Ginger garlic paste may go bad in humid or too hot atmosphere and even during monsoons.
Notes
- You may start with lesser amounts of ginger and add as required to suit your taste.
- There are many kinds of ginger and they differ in flavor and strength. Run a small test batch to make ginger garlic paste. Cook with it first. If it is too gingery, add more garlic and blend. If it is too garlicy, add more ginger and blend. Note down the additions so you know the exact amounts that work well for you.
- I always peel the ginger. Sometimes it imparts bitter tones to the ginger garlic paste.
- Make sure you don’t use garlic with shoots. They will discolor your ginger garlic paste to green or blue overtime.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Hi swasthi,
Can I just make a big batch and then freeze paste directly in 8 Oz Mason jars in freezer Instead ice cube trays ? I can then take out one jar as and when required and use it in a week or two by refrigerating the one in use.
Thanks,
Nilofar
Hi Nilofar,
Yes you can freeze it. I do it the same way but in smaller jars.
Hi Swasthi,
I made the ginger garlic paste a couple days ago, and I think it was well worth the effort. I’ve noticed that even with equal quantities of ginger and garlic, the ginger flavor comes through more strongly than the garlic both raw and in the finished dish. Is this to be expected? I personally find that ginger has a stronger flavor than garlic anyway, but the difference shouldn’t be quite this stark.
I love ginger so I’m not upset that it tastes gingery, but I am disappointed that I don’t taste very much of the garlic. Would it be worth making separate ginger paste and garlic paste in the future so I can amp up the garlic flavor?
Hi Rina,
No! a strong flavor is not expected. As mentioned in the post there are 2 kinds of ginger. One is the stronger kind which is too strong and tastes little bitter even after cooking. I think you should try the other kind or from another brand or grown in another region. If you can’t then you should fine tune this recipe to your taste. My mom always made with 1 part ginger and 2 parts garlic. But when I made the same it was too garlicky and made mine pungent. 1:1 works well for me. Experiment adding more garlic (another 65 grams) to the paste you already made. Check if that is alright. So next time you know how much to use. Storing them separately also works but every time you need to handle 2 jars. Hope this helps
Hi Swasthi,
I’m a little embarrassed now that I see you did mention this in the post. Totally on me for jumping straight to the recipe. I’ll try adding more garlic. Thinking about it now, for most applications where I use ginger and/or garlic, a combined paste would probably make more sense anyways. I’ll definitely be curious to see if I can taste a major difference in pungency between ginger in different stores. Thank you for your help!
Hi Rina,
No problem! Yes try it.
Can you tell me where you get that blender jar? What’s it called?
Hi,
Look for an Indian mixer grinder on amazon. This is a preeti Mixer, steel model. Not so good. It lasted only a few months. Read the local reviews on amazon and choose.
Can I substitute Hing for ginger garlic paste?
No
I love garlic when I,was growing up, my father made toast, topped it with slices of onion and garlic. Maybe thats why he passed at 86 and I’m 96! I cant take very spicy food and knowing Indian food is, perhaps uou can direct me to some that can be made with local, Mexican not too spicy veggies. I’m staying away from meat so maybe fish dishes would be appreciated and appropriate. Awaiting. Gerry
I have just found your website and can’t wait to try your recipes!
I would like a small metal cup blender as shown in your pictures of the garlic ginger paste recipe.
can you tell me what it is called, the brand or where I could find one? I like in New Mexico USA, there is not much here in the way of shopping.
Thank you!
Hi Jayne
Thank you. It is called an Indian mixer grinder. You can find many brands on amazon. The one I used in this post is from Preeti. Hope this helps.
Can you use reconstituted garlic and ginger powder to make the paste. If so in what ratio.
I haven’t tried. So not sure if the flavor will be the same
Great site, all simply and well explained for non indians.
Thank you
I love Indian chutney
Cann you please include some in your site? Specially ones with ginger in them
Hi,
Please check this link for chutney recipes
What kind of oil do you use in this recipe? I want to avoid canola oil but am wondering what oils are traditionally used in Indian cooking?
Hi Camille,
I use coconut oil for my regular cooking. So I use the same. I have also used peanut, sesame and sunflower oils before. In Indian each region uses different cooking oils. In the south sesame, peanut & coconut oils are used while in the north, mustard oil is used.
Hello Swasthi,
The Bhatti da Murgh recipe I made called for 2 tablespoons of grated garlic and 2 tablespoons of grated ginger. I substituted 4 tablespoons of your paste to save time and the finished chicken, which also cooked with about 10 other Indian spices, did not taste very good to me. I have cooked many Indian dishes in the past, and have never had this problem. Do you think the quantity of paste overwhelmed the other ingredients?
Hi,
Yes you used a lot of ginger garlic paste. 2 tablespoons of grated garlic equals approximately 1 tablespoon ground garlic or paste. It is the same for ginger too. I guess 1.5 to 2 tbsps ginger garlic paste would be enough for the recipe.
Generally 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste should be good enough for 4 to 4 1/2 pounds of chicken. Hope this helps.
Thank you for the helpful reply. I’m glad I didn’t make a lot of that dish the first time. For the remaining chicken, maybe some extra yogurt during reheating will reduce the strong paste error.
You are welcome. To reduce the strong flavor of ginger garlic, you can add some almond flour or gram flour. While making marinade any minor mistakes can be rectified to some extent by adding flour, cream or yes yogurt as you said.
I’m interested in making garlic and ginger peste for commercial us.Give me more details of preserving both .
Regards
I want to make ginger garlic paste but I think it is possible that I may need another type of garlic. Ginger from USA supermarkets seems to have a lot of fiber. Is that ok? Or do I need young tender garlic. If so how do I get that? Grow it myself or go to an Asian market?
Hi Eileen
You can use any kind of less fibrous ginger. The ginger garlic paste will still be good even when made with fibrous ginger but you may not like the fibers in your curries. Give a try with whatever you have and then for the next time you can decide. I just buy what every is available in the market. Hope this helps
I like your receipes, which are simple and tasty.
Thank you so much!
Can we use organic ginger without peeling the skin of ginger? I mean can we wash(pre-mince) and then let it get dried up. Later chop and put it in a blender along with garlic? Will that ginger garlic have good shelf life? Will that have difference in taste from the one made with peeled ginger?
Hi Sireesha,
my mom never removes the skin. She scrubs with a tiny brush, rinses it well, air dries it on the table for over night and makes the paste. I have seen it stays really good for about a month. But for me this never works as it makes the entire paste bitter.Sometimes the skin of ginger makes the entire thing very pungent and bitter. Not sure why. I think you should try with a small quantity.
Thanks.. Very good explanation..
Swasthi – love your blog for the details you give. My ginger garlic always would turn green after a few days. Your tips helped a lot. Success!! It’s Past 3 months and my paste is still fresh in the freezer.thanks for the wonderful work
Hi, what is hybrid ginger, and how do I know if my ginger is hybrid? Thanks 🙂
Welcome Rachel,
Hybrid ginger is Genetically modified ginger. You can make out by the appearance if you take a look at the non gmo variety. Usually Gmodified ginger is larger in size and more whitish or pale, more juicy and less pungent.
Hi ,
I am starting ginger garlic paste business at home where I’ll provide organic ginger garlic paste without any preservatives. can you please tell me what is the procedure I can keep the ginger garlic paste without fridge and I don’t have sunlight option also so how do I dry them. can you please guide me in this I really need your input. If possible you can share your details to my email ID malliksambit17@gmail Many thanks
SAMBIT KUMAR
Hi,
May be you can look for a dehydrator online. You can dehydrate the ginger garlic for sometime to reduce the moisture and then blend them. Store with enough oil. Even a oven should work if you heat up at low temperature – 40 to 60 C. I do it for my pickles in oven and it works. They stay good even without refrigeration for several months. Hope this helps