Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Just Joined? Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: failsafe on February 26, 2013, 03:59 PM
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Hi all
just joined and i'm a complete novice
i have heard of garlic & ginger paste, but i only have powder forms of these. So the qustion is: how do i make it just using what i have [i also have difficulty with any hand pressure, might be needed if talking of mortar & pestle, since i have arthritis]. Can the two powders be combined? And in what quatities? And is oil or some other substitute used to make the paste?
Sorry to all if it's long winded
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i have heard of garlic & ginger paste, but i only have powder forms of these. So the qustion is: how do i make it just using what i have [i also have difficulty with any hand pressure, might be needed if talking of mortar & pestle, since i have arthritis]. Can the two powders be combined? And in what quatities? And is oil or some other substitute used to make the paste?
No powders involved, failsafe : just blend fresh ginger and fresh garlic with oil using an inexpensive electric blender, or buy a ready-made jar of the same. Welcome aboard !
** Phil.
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Some use oil, some use water, others use both or neither. Whatever the preference, as Phil says, blend from fresh ginger and garlic. Also there are differing opinions on what ratio to use as well. 50:50 or perhaps 60:40 in favour of either one depending on preference.
Personally I like to make up in bulk then freeze in 1 tbsp amounts in ice trays before popping out and storing in freezer bags. Defrost as I need them. ;)
Welcome
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Thanks Phil & RubyDoo
will take note of your comments which i found very useful. Never come across the paste in Asda! lol
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Unfortunately not all Asda stores stock the same range. You should be able to find garlic puree and ginger puree in tubes though, with the tomato puree normally. You could also look out for the Taj frozen variety of both that some Asda's stock. Alternatively, visit a local Asian grocers if you have one or if all else fails, do as Phil and RD said, make your own. The latter is a lot superior to any shop bought kind, in taste and in behaviour when you put in hot oil :o :o It doesn't have a nasty habit of spitting at you ::)
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Nothing beats fresh ;) :-*
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Nothing beats fresh ;) :-*
Well, I used to believe that, until I tried a decent jar of pre-mix from a Gurkha store in Ashford; now I have no intentions of ever making my own again !
** Phil.
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Nothing beats fresh ;) :-*
Well, I used to believe that, until I tried a decent jar of pre-mix from a Gurkha store in Ashford; now I have no intentions of ever making my own again !
** Phil.
1. Lazy git!
2. Do you know what is in it?
3. Do you actually believe what they say is in it?
4. Share the info? If that good. ;)
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1. Lazy git!
2. Do you know what is in it?
3. Do you actually believe what they say is in it?
4. Share the info? If that good. ;)
1. Excessively busy git. Five years into retirement, and busier now than I ever was when I was receiving a salary.
2. Ginger & garlic, plus the usual preservatives.
3. Of course. When it comes to na
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Hahaha. ;)0nly 2 years in but know what you mean. Borrocks to the preservatives. ;) ???
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failsafe - get some garlic and ginger from your local Asian grocer which is much cheaper than from your supermarket. I blend a 60:40 ratio of garlic to ginger with just enough oil to make it liquid. Pour into a jar and Bob's your uncle. It will keep in the fridge for a month and when a recipe calls for "garlic ginger paste" that's what you use.
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Welcome failsafe !
Fresh is loads better , easier to work with , more tasty ( natural I mean without acidic preservatives and God knows what ) and it can be frozen too .. I usually make up about 500g at a time and freeze in 50g tablet containers which then lasts a couple of months .. to not do fresh is idleness IMHO ;)
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I bought 3 jars, one of ginger paste and one of garlic paste (same brand) and one of garlic-ginger paste from a different brand in my local asian grocer. I am quite pleased with the garlic paste, but not pleased at all the with the ginger one. I think the garlic-ginger one is fine too, but I always top it up with extra garlic. I have not given myself the trouble of making my own paste since. I find the difference to be negligible.
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Good general tip for pastes: It's worth adding just a little bit of salt when making the paste. It helps your mixer grind everything easier. At least that's what I found.
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Here's my tip (then again, I can only speak of mine): Don't use a jungle-blender to make g&g, unless you want it chunky :o (again, might just be mine, which I cannot vouch for the quality as it was offered..!)
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Here's my tip (then again, I can only speak of mine): Don't use a jungle-blender to make g&g, !)
I hate to seem na
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Here's my tip (then again, I can only speak of mine): Don't use a jungle-blender to make g&g, !)
I hate to seem na
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failsafe - get some garlic and ginger from your local Asian grocer which is much cheaper than from your supermarket. I blend a 60:40 ratio of garlic to ginger with just enough oil to make it liquid. Pour into a jar and Bob's your uncle. It will keep in the fridge for a month and when a recipe calls for "garlic ginger paste" that's what you use.
That's useful info which i will consider.
problem i have is that i have arthritis in my hands so getting and peeling [which applies to other ingredients that have to be peeled] ginger is out of the question, sadly. But thanks to all. Expect I'll have to consider buying commercially available paste!
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That's useful info which i will consider. problem i have is that i have arthritis in my hands so getting and peeling [which applies to other ingredients that have to be peeled] ginger is out of the question, sadly. But thanks to all. Expect I'll have to consider buying commercially available paste!
Sorry to learn about the arthritis : my aunt had that (rheumatoid arthritis) and I know how debilitating she found it. But I think you can buy frozen pre-peeled garlic cloves : that may be worth a try. As for the ginger, many advocate leaving the skin on and just removing the gnarly ends : that may also help.
** Phil.
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Failsafe, you can get garlic and ginger in frozen cubes from Asian shops and some supermarkets as well. It's good stuff and has no nasty tasting preservatives like the jarred pastes.
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That's useful info which i will consider. problem i have is that i have arthritis in my hands so getting and peeling [which applies to other ingredients that have to be peeled] ginger is out of the question, sadly. But thanks to all. Expect I'll have to consider buying commercially available paste!
Sorry to learn about the arthritis : my aunt had that (rheumatoid arthritis) and I know how debilitating she found it. But I think you can buy frozen pre-peeled garlic cloves : that may be worth a try. As for the ginger, many advocate leaving the skin on and just removing the gnarly ends : that may also help.
** Phil.
Hiya Phil
I appreciate your sentiments, its a handicap i have to live with, like your aunt. but on the "leaving the the skin on [ginger] and just leaving the skin on and just removing the gnarly ends" i don't know or understand what you mean, mate.
cheers
failsafe
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Failsafe, you can get garlic and ginger in frozen cubes from Asian shops and some supermarkets as well. It's good stuff and has no nasty tasting preservatives like the jarred pastes.
Hiya Secret Santa
Would you know what supermarkets i can get the frozen cubes them from, please
cheers
failsafe
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on the "leaving the the skin on [ginger] and just removing the gnarly ends", i don't know or understand what you mean, mate.
I don't have any ginger I can photograph today, so I'll just have to reply on prose. When you make garlic/ginger paste, both the garlic and the ginger go into a liquidiser (or are blended using a stick blender). So, whilst the skin of garlic is nasty stuff and needs to be got rid of before blending, the skin of ginger breaks down quite well, so all that is necessary before blending is to cut off the dry ends and any particularly hard parts, then cut up the remainder leaving the skin on and blend with the peeled garlic. In general, this is suggested to save time/effort when making a base, which also includes blended garlic/ginger, but if you are not too fussy about wanting your g/g base to be pure white and bit-free, it may work for g/g paste as well.
** Phil.
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They sometimes use very fresh and young ginger in India and Pakistan, and leave the skin on. Never heard to do that with the aged ones you get here before.
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on the "leaving the the skin on [ginger] and just removing the gnarly ends", i don't know or understand what you mean, mate.
I don't have any ginger I can photograph today, so I'll just have to reply on prose. When you make garlic/ginger paste, both the garlic and the ginger go into a liquidiser (or are blended using a stick blender). So, whilst the skin of garlic is nasty stuff and needs to be got rid of before blending, the skin of ginger breaks down quite well, so all that is necessary before blending is to cut off the dry ends and any particularly hard parts, then cut up the remainder leaving the skin on and blend with the peeled garlic. In general, this is suggested to save time/effort when making a base, which also includes blended garlic/ginger, but if you are not too fussy about wanting your g/g base to be pure white and bit-free, it may work for g/g paste as well.
** Phil.
Thanks for that info Phil. Will give that a go. Cheers, mate
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Never peel ginger now for paste etc. as Phil says, just remove any really dry or gnarly bits. ;)