Ginger-garlic paste
Vegetarian
अदरक लहसुन का पेस्ट · adrak lahsun kā pesṭ
Equal weights of fresh ginger and garlic blended with a little oil and salt into a smooth, pungent paste — the starting point for countless Indian curries, marinades and biryanis, and far brighter than the jarred kind.
Ginger-garlic paste is an Indian condiment, ready in about 20 minutes and made with fresh ginger and garlic. It serves 21 and is rated beginner to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 21
- Level
- Beginner
- Calories
- 25
Method
Step 1
Peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon and chop it across the fibres into small pieces. Peel the garlic (opens in a new tab) (crush the heads and shake the cloves in a lidded jar to loosen the skins).
How it looks · Photo: RDNE Stock project on Pexels Step 2
Blend the ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab), salt and oil in a small blender (opens in a new tab) jar, scraping down often, to a smooth paste. Add a spoonful of water only if the blades will not turn.
Water makes it spoil faster; oil and salt help it keep.
Step 3
Spoon into a clean, dry jar and refrigerate, or freeze in an ice-cube tray and transfer the cubes to a bag.
About this dish
- Origin
- Across India and Pakistan, India · Commonly attributedEqual parts by weight is the common home ratio; some cooks use more garlic, or a pinch of turmeric to keep the colour.Also popular in Pakistan, BangladeshMore food from India
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
- Cooking method
- Blended, No-cook
- Taste
- garlicky, spicy (chilli heat), fresh
- Diet
- Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carbWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · DASH-style - Good for
- Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Meal-prep friendly · Budget-friendly
- Cook more with
- Fresh ginger · Garlic
- Techniques
- Wet grinding · Emulsification
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
25 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 15 g · recipe makes 21
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 9%
- Carbohydrate 56%
- Fat 35%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 25 kcal | 165 kcal |
| Protein | 0.6 g | 3.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 3.6 g | 24.2 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 3.3 g | 22.3 g |
| Sugars | 0.2 g | 1.3 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.3 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 1 g | 6.9 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | 0.6 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 94 mg | 629 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 1.6 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 58 mg
- Calcium
- 14 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 5 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 0 µg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 1 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- 1 tbsp homemade paste ≈ 3 garlic cloves plus a thumb of ginger.
- Fry it for a minute after the onions, until the raw smell disappears, before adding tomatoes or spices.
Common mistakes
- Adding it to oil that is too hot, so it burns and turns bitter.
- Storing it at room temperature.
Serve with
- Biryani and tandoori marinades, butter chicken, kosha mangsho and chicken karahi.
- Any onion-tomato curry base.
Food safety
- Raw garlic, ginger and herbs held in oil at room temperature can support Clostridium botulinum; keep this paste refrigerated and use it within the stated time, or freeze it.
Storage
- Refrigerate in a clean jar for up to 1 week; freeze cubes for 3 months.
Variations
- Green chilli-ginger-garlic paste: Blend in 4–5 green chillies; common in Hyderabadi and Gujarati kitchens.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
About this masala
- Type
- Wet masala
- Texture
- Smooth paste
- One batch makes
- about 315 g
- Keeps
- 7 days
- Store
- Covered, in the fridge
- Recipe
- Traditional
Across India and Pakistan. Makes Ginger-garlic paste, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas
Used in
Amounts are each dish’s own quantity, for the servings it is written for. “Make enough” opens this recipe scaled for that dish.
- Anda bhurji (Indian spiced scrambled eggs)1 tsp · 5 g for 3 servingsMake enough
- Chicken keema paratha1 tbsp · 15 g for 6 parathasMake enough
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Fresh ginger, peeled (scrape with a spoon) and roughly chopped150 g
- Garlic, peeled (about 4 heads)150 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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