Garlic Paste

Garlic is truly a game-changer and has the power to change any dish for the better. However, prepping garlic can sometimes be a bit of a lengthy process. So, it's a good idea to keep this wonder spice handy before you start preparing your favorite dish.

Many Indian recipes call for ginger garlic paste. Although these pastes are available in many stores, I prefer to make my own at home. The paste is easy to prepare and more importantly, the flavors of fresh homemade garlic paste with no preservatives are much better than store-bought.

Unlike Italian, Spanish or Chinese cuisine where you use chopped, diced or sliced garlic, Indian cuisine uses garlic paste. Essentially, garlic paste is fresh peeled garlic ground to a fine paste in a blender with minimal or no water.

You can then freeze this paste and there's your ready-to-use garlic!

Ingredients

• 500 g peeled garlic cloves

• 2 tbps oil

• A pinch of salt

Instructions

Place peeled garlic cloves in a blender and puree to a smooth paste. Do not add water while blending, but if for some reason your blender doesn't blend it fine, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. To keep the garlic from turning bluish-green, stir a little oil and salt into the paste.

Transfer to an airtight container or mason jar. Store the paste in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in freezer bags for up to 4 months.

Tips

• For best results, spread thinly in the bag before freezing to make it easier to break into pieces later. You could also freeze it in a silicone ice cube tray. Just break off a piece of the frozen garlic if needed, or take a cube from the silicone tray. Although it takes a few minutes for the garlic to thaw, you can add the frozen piece to the dish you're cooking. No waiting for it to thaw.

• Garlic will keep fresh longer if stored as a whole bulb.

• Store in a cool, dark place away from sunlight and preferably in the refrigerator. Garlic will keep well for months this way.

• If you don't want to invest in a blender, I would suggest using an inexpensive garlic press and freezing the paste using the techniques shown here.

I look forward to hearing from you...

...if you like my blog, my recipes inspire you and your curiosity for Indian cuisine has been piqued. Feel free to give me feedback if you would like to share your cooking accomplishments or have a suggestion for improvement. I appreciate any kind feedback. Whether via the comment function, email, Facebook or Instagram (best tagged with #heutemalindisch and @heutemalindisch, then your cooking success can also inspire others).