What Is Ginger paste and How Can I Use It?
Wondering what to do with ginger paste? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 16 recipes to put it to work.
Key Points
- Fresh ginger blended into a smooth puree, jarred or tubed to skip peeling and grating.
- In Indian cooking it is usually ginger-garlic paste, the start of nearly every curry.
- Fry it in hot oil at the aromatics stage; raw, it tastes harsh and soapy.
- Fresh ginger swaps teaspoon for teaspoon and tastes brighter; jarred is milder in raw uses.
- Keep opened jars refrigerated three to four weeks, or freeze homemade paste in cubes.
What is ginger paste?
Ginger paste is fresh ginger blended smooth into a spoonable puree, sold in jars and squeeze tubes so you can skip the peeling and grating. It carries the same warm, peppery, citrus heat as the fresh root, ready to drop straight into a hot pan.
In Indian cooking it most often shows up as ginger-garlic paste, the two aromatics blended together because nearly every curry starts with both. A jar in the fridge is the shortcut behind a weeknight Chicken Curry (Dhawan) or a Creamy Navrattan Korma.
It is a convenience product, plain and simple. The trade is a little brightness for a lot of saved time, which is why it lives in so many busy kitchens.
How to Use Ginger Paste
Use it anywhere a recipe calls for fresh ginger and you do not want to grate. It melts into the base of a curry or a pot of dal and stirs straight into a marinade or a stir-fry sauce, dissolving completely so there are no fibrous threads to bite into.
Cook it before it goes acrid. Like fresh ginger and garlic, the paste tastes raw and sharp until it hits hot oil, so fry it in the aromatics stage for a minute or two until the raw smell turns mellow and fragrant.
It is the backbone of countless Indian dishes here. It seasons the meat and rice of a Biryani Rice Recipe, the gravy of a Jumbo Prawn Curry, and the spiced potato and eggplant of a Rajasthani Aloo Baingan.
It reaches well beyond Indian food too. A spoonful goes into the filling for Momos and into the pan sauce of a Thai Tamarind Chicken Stir Fry, anywhere you want ginger heat without the prep.
For marinades it is especially handy, since it clings to chicken or lamb and seasons it through without watery grated bits sliding off.
Pairing and Common Mistakes
Ginger is happiest with garlic, onion, chili, and warm spices like cumin and coriander, and it cuts the richness of coconut milk and fatty meats. A squeeze of lime or a splash of soy rounds it out in stir-fries.
The biggest mistake is adding it raw at the end. Undercooked ginger paste tastes harsh and soapy, so give it time in hot oil rather than stirring it into a finished dish.
The second is assuming jarred paste matches fresh spoon for spoon in raw uses. The jarred kind is milder and a touch flatter because grinding and storage dull the volatile oils, so in a fresh dressing or a ginger tea, fresh root tastes noticeably livelier.
In cooked dishes the gap mostly disappears.
Watch the salt and preservatives too. Many jars are seasoned with salt and a little oil or acid, so taste before you season and know a commercial ginger-garlic paste already brings garlic to the dish.
Substitutes for Ginger Paste
Fresh ginger is the obvious stand-in and the better one. A 1-inch piece of peeled root grated fine gives you roughly a tablespoon of paste, so swap them close to teaspoon for teaspoon and expect a brighter, more aromatic result.
Going the other way, about 1 tablespoon of ginger paste stands in for a 1-inch knob of fresh ginger.
Ground dried ginger works only in a pinch and only in cooked dishes, since it tastes warmer and more muted. Use about ¼ teaspoon of the dried powder for every tablespoon of paste, and know you lose the fresh top notes.
For a ginger-garlic paste, blend equal parts fresh ginger and garlic with a splash of water or oil, which is exactly what the jar is.
Buying and Storing Ginger Paste
Look for it in the produce section, the Asian or Indian aisle, or the refrigerated case, sold in glass jars and plastic squeeze tubes. The shortest ingredient list is best: ginger, maybe a little oil and salt, and not much else. Ginger-garlic paste will list both.
Once opened, keep it refrigerated with the lid tight and use it within about three to four weeks; a thin film of oil on top is normal and helps seal out air. If it smells fermented or sour or grows any fuzz, throw it out.
To keep paste longer, freeze it in an ice cube tray, then pop the frozen cubes into a bag so you can drop one straight into the pan.
Homemade paste is best frozen this way within a week, since it has none of the preservatives that let the jarred kind last.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 姜蓉
- British (UK) term
- Ginger paste
- en français
- la pâte de gingembre
- en español
- pasta de jengibre
Recipes using ginger paste
There are 16 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Stuffed Rava/Sooji idli
Here's a delicious, quite filling idli recipe that can be enjoyed as a snack or the main dish. Learn how to make stuffed idli. So here's a colourful idli recipe that's packed with the goodness of vegetables.
Momos
This is undoubtedly an innovative low calorie snack! flour wrappers are filled with a healthy filling of Soyabean and cabbage, and steamed to make an appetizing snack. Follow the exact procedure and make the world's best momos!
Creamy Navrattan Korma
Vegetable Korma is a delicious combination of several vegetables in a creamy sauce. It is often served in Indian restaurants. Korma can be served with any Indian bread or rice.
Rajasthani Aloo Baingan (Potato & Eggplant)
I have never met an eggplant I didn't love! Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables. The nice thing is you can make it so many ways. This recipe is really easy and turns out a delicious dish that tastes great when served with hot Chapatis.
Biryani Rice Recipe
Fragrant Indian chicken biryani layered with saffron-streaked basmati rice, tender potatoes, and a spiced yogurt-tomato sauce with cardamom, cloves, and cumin. Served with sweetened whipped yogurt.
Thai Tamarind Chicken Stir Fry
Tired of cooking chicken the plain old style? How about making it Thai style this time! And with a hint of tamarind added to it, there is no way you can keep yourself from licking the last morsel of it left off the plate. What’s more? It is quick and easy to make and can be prepared in a jiffy whenever you have unannounced guests at home. A classic Thai recipe, this sweet and sour chicken stir fry even though is a meal by itself but when served with fragrant jasmine rice they take the eating experience to a whole new level. Try is right away!
Tikka Murgh
Chicken leg pieces marinated in spiced yogurt with ginger-garlic paste, mace, cumin, and gram flour, then roasted on skewers. Cook it tandoor-style, on the grill, or in your oven.
Handi Chicken
Handi chicken is the dum-style Pakistani classic: bone-in chicken cooked in a sealed earthenware pot with yogurt, whole spices, and paya (lamb foot) stock for deep flavor.
Lamb Patties
If you like trying new things, then you will love this succulent dish that will instantly find its place in your cookbook!
Aloo Baingoan
Baingan Bartha is a vegetarian dish from Indian and Pakistani cuisine. It is a Bhurta (minced vegetables) made from eggplant (Baigan), which is grilled over charcoal or direct fire to impart a smoky flavor to the flesh of the eggplant and then cooked with spices and vegetables. Usually serve it with Chapati or boiled rice.
Chicken Curry (Dhawan)
Fragrant North Indian chicken curry built on toasted cumin, cardamom, and cloves with a rich tomato-onion masala base. This home-style Dhawan family recipe simmers tender chicken breast in warming spices in under 45 minutes.
Indian Hot Chicken Curry
Hot Indian chicken curry blooms cumin and cardamom in oil, then builds a tomato-onion masala with ginger, garlic, and Thai chili. Garam masala spiced, served over rice.
Baked Potato with Tuna, Cheese & Sweet Corn
Loaded baked potato topped with a zesty tuna, sweet corn, and cheddar mixture spiked with ginger, garlic, and hot sauce. A fast, filling meal where a crisp-skinned potato meets a creamy, spicy topping.
Egg & Potato Curry
Egg and potato curry simmers cubed potatoes in a ginger-garlic masala gravy, finished with hard-boiled egg quarters and fresh cilantro. A classic Pakistani comfort dish.
Malai Chicken
Malai chicken is a creamy North Indian curry: chicken simmered with whole spices, ginger garlic paste, tomato, and finished with heavy whipping cream. Mild, rich, and perfect with naan or basmati rice.
Jumbo Prawn Curry
This curry is a delicasy in the Indian state of Goa. It has plenty of coconut and some chilly which go very well with prawns.
