Ginger - Garlic Paste: Tantalise Your Tastebuds

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The sizzle and splutter as a dollop of
ginger-garlic paste hits the hot oil and the
aroma that wafts through the air this is like
the bugle call that the kitchen is open, the
cookings on and alls right with the world! I
dont know who thought up the ginger-garlic
combo, but he/she/they were geniuses or genies,
and Indian for sure. In school, we were taught
about the concept of zero being an Indian
invention and how it is the basis of all maths
today. I think its high time that some part of
history textbooks be devoted to ginger-garlic
paste too. Whatever its history, ginger-garlic
paste is the quintessential ingredient in Indian
cooking. But this duo is not all about taste
alone. There are sizeable benefits to health that
including ginger-garlic paste can gift the
consumer with.
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The benefits of ginger- garlic This paste is not
just about taste and flavour. There are many
benefits to both these ingredients. Ginger is a
good digestive and cures indigestion. It is a
good treatment for nausea, especially morning
sickness. Gingers anti-inflammatory properties
can help with the pain of osteoarthritis which
involves degeneration of joints. In ancient
times, garlic was used for its medicinal
properties rather than for its pungent smell and
taste. It is good for fighting the flu and the
common cold. Garlic reduces toxicity Athletes in
ancient Greece used it as a performance enhancer.
This is because garlic consumption reduces
fatigue.
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Garlic can help control high blood pressure. Both
ginger and garlic lead to significant reduction
in LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Both
of these are markers for heart disease. How to
make ginger-garlic paste All those filled with
culinary wisdom will tell you that no chef can
rise above the raw material he/she works with.
This is the truth of ginger-garlic paste
too. Equal parts of ginger and garlic by weight
can be used for making the paste. The ginger
should be fresh and not of the fibrous variety.
If its too dry, the paste wont carry the
requisite amount of moisture. This is important
because you MUST NOT add water to it or it will
get spoilt.
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Wash the mud off the ginger. Peel it. Wash it
clean again, wipe dry and air on a clean towel.
Once again, take care that it doesnt dry out
longer than is necessary for the external
moisture to air out. An hour or two in the shady
confines of the kitchen should do. The garlic
should be fresh too no dried or discoloured
pods. Heres how you can make the task of peeling
garlic a lot easier Break up the heads of garlic
and rub a little oil on the pods, and put them
out in the sun on a clean newspaper or a bamboo
sieve if you have one. After an hour, rub the
garlic pods and most of the skin will come off.
This is how you make the elements work for you
the sun and the wind will do the heavy work! Now,
peel the remaining skin, and youre ready to
grind!
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Grind both the ginger and garlic to a paste.
Purists insist that they should be ground
separately and then mixed. But, I dont see the
harm in grinding them together. You can add a
little salt and turmeric powder if you choose to.
Just remember the salt when you use the paste and
adjust the seasoning accordingly. Store in a
clean, dry jar/ bottle with a tight fitting lid.
No metal containers, please the paste is pretty
acidic. It will keep for 3-4 weeks when stored
outside. But you can always keep it in the
refrigerator, and it stays for months. Just
ensure that the lid fits tight, or you will have
a fridge that smells to high heaven and thats
too much of a good thing! How do you use
ginger-garlic paste? You can use it raw in
marinades. You can sauté it in a little oil and
use it in any vegetable, meat, fish or poultry of
your choice. Ginger-garlic paste adds zing to any
dish with its taste and aroma.
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Indian pickles too, notably mango and tomato, use
generous amounts of raw ginger-garlic paste the
enhanced taste and flavour cannot be described in
mere words. Tiresome process Of course, the
process is tiresome. Theres a lot of cleaning
involved, and the whole process is so
labour-intensive! What happens if the ginger and
garlic that you bought at the market are not up
to the mark? Too dry means grinding will be
difficult. Too much moisture means that the paste
might spoil. What a waste of all that effort! Not
to say money and time too. But how do you avoid
it when ginger-garlic paste is something which
you CANNOT do without?
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The obvious solution is to buy the paste in the
market. There are plenty of brands available from
the plastic dabbas with the sabjiwala
(vegetable vendor) to the well-packaged tetra
packs and glass bottles in shops. A good brand
means that you are getting the genuine
thing. When you are going to skip the
manufacturing process and go in for the
ready-to-use variety, you must also make sure
that the ginger-garlic paste is fresh has no
preservatives and is made in the most hygienic of
conditions. At Terra Greens Organic, we are
devoted to purity and quality. If you want the
best ginger-garlic paste, you dont have to sweat
it out. And you dont have to worry about
adulteration and preservatives. We pride
ourselves on our trusted organic label. You can
depend on us for the best and the purest. Just
like Mother makes, and Grandmother made.