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Vegetables · Curry pastes

Ginger-garlic paste

Smooth, pungent paste of fresh ginger and garlic in equal parts, the starting point of most Indian curries.

Also called: ginger garlic paste, adrak lehsun paste, ginger and garlic paste, allam vellulli paste

Around the world: अदरक लहसुन पेस्ट (hi) · అల్లం వెల్లుల్లి పేస్ట్ (te)

2 recipes with it

Make it yourself: Ginger-garlic paste

What it is

Ginger-garlic paste is fresh ginger and garlic blended together, usually in equal weights, with a little oil and salt. It is fried after the onions in most North Indian, Hyderabadi and Pakistani curries and goes into biryani and tandoori marinades. Jarred versions are widely sold but often contain acids and preservatives that dull the flavour.

How it’s used

  • Curry bases after the onions
  • Biryani, tikka and tandoori marinades
  • Dal tadka and keema
  • Stir-fries

Characteristics

Taste
Hot, pungent and sharp when raw; sweet and mellow once fried.
Texture
Smooth, thick paste.
When cooked
Burns easily in very hot oil; fry for a minute until the raw smell goes.
Sold as
paste
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Refrigerated. Homemade keeps about 1 week in the fridge; freeze in ice-cube trays for 3 months.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Garlic in oil can support botulism at room temperature; keep it refrigerated and use within a week, or freeze.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
112 kcal
Protein
4.77 g
Carbohydrate
24.795 g
Fat
0.375 g
Fibre
1.575 g
Sugars
0.75 g

USDA FoodData Central: Garlic, raw × 0.75 (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Grated fresh ginger and garlic — About 1 tsp each, grated on a microplane, per tablespoon of paste.

Related ingredients

Recipes with ginger-garlic paste