An Indian kitchen is no different than any other in that prep is key. Having a few ingredients ready to go in my fridge or freezer can literally be the difference between a cook-at-home night and an eat-out one.
I use ginger and garlic a lot, so I like to grind down a small batch in a food processor on the weekend. I take equal parts of peeled and roughly chopped ginger and peeled garlic cloves, and then grind them until smooth in my mini food processor. I then store this in a glass jar in the fridge for up to two weeks or in an ice-cube tray in the freezer for up to three months (no oil or water needed).
Scoop a tablespoon into any Indian stir fry, curry, or dal, and also keep it for East Asian dishes. I'll throw some in with my tofu and veggies, my fried rice, or my random miso-veggie soup. This is how we Indian moms make Indian food nearly every night without completely losing our minds. It's all in the prep. Embrace it and give your food processor a hug while you're at it.
Most curries also include onion. But, I typically mince or grind my onion separately from the ginger-garlic because of the higher water content in onion and because I like to cook them before adding my ginger-garlic. You can also grind and store the ginger and the garlic separately if you prefer. Yes, you can purchase pre-ground jars of the above, but they often include additives that prolong shelf life, which I avoid.
When it comes to storage, I prefer glass or metal containers. For the freezer, I've been leaning more on metal ice-cube trays to avoid plastic and silicone from touching my food. You decide what works best for you and your family.
Got a fun prep idea? Share it with me, below!
Check out my step-by-step video for my ginger-garlic paste! Subscribe to my YouTube channel while you're there and scroll down on this page to print the full recipe!
[[ recipeID=recipe-2ma6zk9j0, title=Indian Prep Kitchen: Make Ahead Ginger-Garlic Paste ]]
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by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie
Servings:
Keywords: Garlic, Ginger, Blender, Food Processor, Meal Prep
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Most curries also include onion. But, I typically mince or grind my onion separately from the ginger-garlic because of the higher water content in onion and because I like to cook them before adding my ginger-garlic. You can also grind and store the ginger and the garlic separately if you prefer. Yes, you can purchase pre-ground jars of the above, but they often include additives that prolong shelf life, which I avoid.
When it comes to storage, I prefer glass or metal containers. For the freezer, I've been leaning more on metal ice-cube trays to avoid plastic and silicone from touching my food. You decide what works best for you and your family.
