Ginger, Turmeric & Garlic Paste adds great flavour and earthiness to your curries. Make this paste and store in the fridge to use whenever you want!
Turmeric or haldi, as it is called in Hindi. is also known as the “Golden Spice” and rightly so. From use in cooking to medicines to be used as haldi at the start of every pooja, this is one spice which is common all over India. Whether it is the haldi ceremony at the wedding in the north or haldi kumkum to be given to every women when visiting homes, the use of haldi is always associated with prosperity and blessings. So this ginger, turmeric & garlic paste is my way of using this awesome turmeric.
Turmeric has many medicinal qualities, the top most being, an excellent antiseptic. It is widely used in healing wounds, by applying a turmeric paste to the wound.
Drank in India since ages, the Golden Milk is now a new health rage across the world. Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and antiseptic in nature, it helps boosts immunity, maintain cholesterol levels and aids digestion. It also works as a liver detoxifier, help regulate metabolism and blood pressure. It is even said to be anti-carcinogenic and we have been drinking haldi doodh for a long time in India.
Mostly hadli or turmeric is found in our houses in the form of powder but according to me, the most delightful way to consume haldi really is the fresh root.
Turmeric plant like many other root vegetables, grows from the rhizomes and is a crop with a long grow cycle (I have planted some at home, fingers crossed it grows). Fresh turmeric or kachi haldi like they call it in Hindi, is used a lot to make pickles. The grated thoku in the south or the simple brine pickle turmeric with chilli and ginger made in Uttar Pradesh. There is the ginger, haldi and green chilli in mustard oil in Punjab and some parts of Kashmir. In Rajasthan they even make a sabji out of kachi haldi which is a much sought after winter delicacy.
What I personally like to do the best with kachi haldi, is make an basic paste with turmeric, ginger, garlic and green chillies, which adds a fresh and earthy flavour to my curries. This ginger, turmeric & garlic paste is now an essential item in my fridge. It has all the health benefits of haldi and is tastier and is so easy to make. It has a decent shelf life of about a month when refrigerated and freezes well till about 3 months.
So buy some kachi haldi this weekend and make some of this paste. The recipe can be doubled or halved. If you don’t like garlic, simply skip it. This weekend I am making myself another large batch, let me know if you do too.
Talking about ginger, have you tried this awesome adrak ki subji ever? Its super yummy!
Kitchen Basics : Ginger, Turmeric & Garlic Paste
Ingredients
- 200 gms turmeric Fresh roots
- 100 gms ginger Fresh
- 75 gms garlic Fresh
- 50 gms green chilli
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Wash dry, peel turmeric, ginger and garlic.
- In a mixer grind together all the ingredients till smooth. Add lemon juice and mix. Lemon juice (one can use 1 tsp of vinegar as well) acts as a preservative, so if you are using it quick you can skip it.
- Store in cleaned, sterilized and dry air tight jars.
useful post…
Thanks @Amrita
Thank you for this as I was not sure how to preserve it nor the ratio. I am close enough to yours now and very grateful for the info. I like to use this as a marinade for chicken to grill coated with this in a garlic butter sauce or hot and sweet sauce (mine is exactly that – Hot) LOL
I have to wonder why you peel the (cleaned) ginger and turmeric? In fact I will try this recipe but I may even not peel the garlic!