Ginger garlic paste: The ancient foundation of desi cooking

If you are familiar with South Asian, especially Indian and Pakistani dishes, you probably know that almost every recipe begins with pounding ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle (if you are passionate about traditional cooking methods) or making the ginger garlic paste in a blender. Every culinary tradition has its own foundational ingredients or base. Just as the soffritto is the traditional base in Italian cuisine, ginger and garlic are the foundation of South Asian cooking.

This ancient mix of ingredients has been a base for South Asian dishes for thousands of years. Ginger is native to India, while garlic arrived in India from Central Asia and has been part of the cuisine for almost 5,000 years. The flavors of many of your favorite foods, such as chicken tikka masala or butter chicken, could not be achieved without the ginger garlic paste. 

Ginger garlic paste—more than aroma 

In Indian Ayurvedic healing, ginger and garlic are considered highly potent substances that have warming and cleansing properties that aid digestion. Good digestion is the key to good overall health. Using garlic ginger paste in food offers more than the aroma we love in our favorite desi dishes. It imparts medicinal properties to food that people in the region eat every day, whether it is a dish with poultry, meat, vegetables, or lentils. 

There are no hard-and-fast rules for the ingredient ratio when using ginger garlic paste. Generally speaking, a 1:1 ratio is recommended; however, the paste is made in each household according to personal preferences. Ratios can vary from recipe to recipe to achieve the desired overall flavor. In different dishes, a dominant flavor of either garlic or ginger might be appreciated. 

There are also dishes such as haleem (a blend of different lentils and grains cooked with meats for a long time) that are traditionally served garnished with an additional dose of julienned fresh ginger, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice for better digestion and enhanced flavor.  

How to make ginger garlic paste—simple and easy! 

In most desi kitchens, ginger garlic paste is made from fresh ingredients using a mortar and pestle. In times gone by, the mortar and pestle were essential culinary tools to prepare pastes and chutneys. Those were the days when women even crushed whole spices at home and roasted them to make their own spice blends. 

Today, with food processors, handy blenders, refrigerators, and freezers, and less time available for traditional food prep in busy routines, ginger garlic paste is often made in batches to last a couple of weeks. The paste can be stored in the fridge or the freezer. This is a great way to make sure your fresh ginger and garlic don’t go bad. Plus, you have your essential cooking base ready when you want to prepare a meal, without losing the nutritional value and health benefits of these ingredients. 

Here is a simple recipe by Dassana Amit for preparing ginger and garlic paste at home and storing it for longer periods. 

You shouldn’t feel bad about using store-bought ginger garlic paste for your marinades or curries, but making the paste at home lets you adjust the ratio exactly as you prefer. Any recipe you follow can be adjusted by changing the ratio of the ingredients to suit your personal preference.

If you want to freeze the paste immediately, you can even leave out salt and oil since freezing will not require these preserving elements to keep your paste good to use. You can also freeze the paste in cubes, about the portion size that you usually use. There is no need to thaw the paste before cooking, so preparing and using ginger garlic paste is super easy. 

How to cook with ginger garlic paste—get the timing right 

One of the secrets to a well-prepared dish is getting the correct sequence of adding and cooking various ingredients. If you are using onions along with ginger and garlic, it would be preferable to first fry the onions to the point you desire. Onions take longer to cook, and if you start with all three ingredients together, you might end up burning your paste while your onions are still not done. 

Onions are ready when they become soft and translucent, but you can caramelize or brown them depending on the dish you are preparing. Once the onions are ready to your satisfaction, you can add the ginger garlic paste. 

Both ginger and garlic have strong and pungent aromas. It is important to sauté the paste until the aroma is sweet and warm, but it is also crucial not to burn it. You will get the most out of this aromatic cooking base with the right timing. 

Ginger and garlic tadka—make delicious lentil dishes at home

In some dishes, such as tadka dal (or lentils with tadka), ginger and garlic are fried in ghee or oil with other ingredients such as onions and spices, and added to lentils after they are cooked. Tadka is a tempering technique that creates maximum flavor by infusing ghee with ingredients such as ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes, red chilis, etc., giving the dish a special smoky and rich flavor. This could be seen as a top-down technique of using the ginger and garlic base. 

Try this recipe to make tarka dal with split red lentils and Bengal gram. You can enjoy this great comfort food with Kaiser’s roti, paratha or naan bread! 

Ginger garlic paste—the foundation of authentic desi marinades

A typical desi-style marinade for popular dishes such as chicken tikka uses ginger garlic paste and lemon juice as the foundation. Boneless pieces of chicken are thoroughly covered with the paste and lemon juice and left to marinate in the fridge. After the initial marination, other ingredients such as various spices, herbs, and curd are added, and the chicken is preferably marinated overnight. This long marination process infuses the chicken with flavor and makes it tender and moist. For a marinade, it is preferable to thaw out your ginger garlic paste if you are using frozen portions. 

The hugely popular chicken tikka is usually eaten at restaurants or street food stalls. But you can try Kaiser’s all-natural, traditionally seasoned tandoori chicken tikka to experience the magic of authentic recipes at home, without the effort or time invested in prep. 

Concluding words…

Culinary traditions and foundational ingredients for different cuisines come to us as a gift from nature. They help us prepare food that is nutritious, flavorful, and healthy. Ginger and garlic have anti-inflammatory properties; they increase immunity, aid digestion, help maintain heart health, and are full of nutrients. Ginger garlic paste is the foundation and signature flavor of desi cooking, now popular and well-known around the world. This simple combination of two potent ingredients, when blended, creates a wealth of medicinal benefits and flavors the world’s savors!