Ginger Garlic Paste (FAQ + Recipe)

Name: Ginger Garlic Paste
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup peeled and chopped garlic; 1/4 cup peeled and chopped ginger; Pinch of salt; 1 teaspoon canola oil, plus more if needed

In This Recipe

How to Make
Freezing and Storage
Where to Purchase
Recipes

Ginger garlic paste consists of raw ginger and garlic blended until smooth, and some variations incorporate oil, water, or salt for texture and flavor. In its raw form, the paste is quite pungent and spicy, but when cooked in fat, it provides an earthy, warm, sweet, and zingy flavor to a dish.

Ginger garlic paste is an extremely popular condiment. Many South Asian households make it fresh, then store it in the fridge for daily cooking.

Ginger Garlic Paste

Origin: Made from ginger and garlic blended into a smooth paste

Commonly found in: South Asian cooking

How to Make Ginger Garlic Paste from Scratch

While you can purchase ginger garlic paste, it's easy to make it yourself. My great-grandmother used to grind her ginger and garlic into a paste by hand using a flat stone and a stone rolling pin!

These days, many home cooks elect to use a small electric blender or wet spice grinder. I use the Shardor wet spice grinder, and I highly recommend it. Unless you're making a large batch, I recommend using the smallest blender cup you have at home; otherwise, the blade will have trouble grinding the aromatics into a paste.

Ginger Garlic Paste in a Bowl Surrounded by Pieces of Garlic and Ginger — Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan

Freezing and Storage Instructions

Freshly-made ginger garlic paste will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 7 days. When cooking, use a clean spoon to remove the paste from the container.

You can freeze the paste if you'd like to make a larger batch for longer-term storage. First, transfer the paste to an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Next, pop out the individual cubes and place them in a sealed Ziploc bag; keep them in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.

Then, when ready to use, you can add an individual cube straight from the freezer (no need to thaw) to sauté in cooking.

Where to Purchase Ginger Garlic Paste

Alternatively, you can purchase a pre-made jar at specialty Indian stores or on Amazon if you'd like to forgo making your own paste.

Recipes with Ginger Garlic Paste

Ginger garlic paste makes an excellent marinade for chicken and seafood, especially when mixed with yogurt and spices. Or, for an easy side dish, sauté some green beans with a bit of oil, ginger garlic paste, and lemon juice.

Looking for more inspiration? Try these recipes out:

Ginger Garlic Paste

Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Servings 6 servings

Yield 1/3 cup

This amount is plenty, as the paste is very concentrated, so a typical recipe will only call for 1 to 2 tablespoons.

1/4 cup peeled and chopped garlic
1/4 cup peeled and chopped ginger
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon canola oil, plus more if needed

Prep the garlic and ginger:

Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger.
Start blending:

Begin blending the garlic and ginger in a wet spice grinder or small electric blender. As you blend, you will notice the garlic and ginger break down into smaller and smaller pieces.
Add salt and oil:

At some point, you may notice the blender struggling to turn the fine shards of garlic and ginger into a paste. Add a pinch of salt and the oil, then continue blending.
Finish blending:

If needed, add another teaspoon of oil at a time and blend again until the mixture turns into a homogenous, smooth paste with a slightly fluffy texture.

Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
18	Calories
1g	Fat
3g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	1%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 24mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate 3g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg	10%
Calcium 11mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 39mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.