frozen ginger without thawing all of it) about 3 months. Pre-measured portions can go straight from the freezer into the pan. Another way to freeze is to place the paste in a small zip-closure bag, remove excess air, seal the bag, and press on it lightly to spread the paste into a thin layer. When frozen, pieces can then simply be snapped off.
Basic Garlic Paste
Pissa Lussan
Makes about 1 cup
Although it is acceptable to use oil- or water-packed bottled minced garlic that is available in supermarkets all over America (though I personally do not care for it), nothing can replace the true flavor (and the nutritional benefits) of fresh garlic. It is true that peeling fresh garlic cloves can be a chore, but these days even the peeled ones are readily available. Buy yours at the local farmers' markets, where you can guarantee freshness.
1 1 ⁄ 2 cups fresh garlic cloves, peeled
2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed
1. Put the garlic in a blender (not a food processor, or the paste will not be smooth) and process, adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time, using only the minimum amount necessary to make a smooth paste.
2. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 15 days. Because garlic paste is pungent, be sure to seal it very tightly with plastic wrap under the lid. This will ensure that the rest of your refrigerator doesn't smell garlicky. You can also freeze pre-measured quantities (because this paste freezes as one big block that is almost impossible to break without thawing) about 3 months. Pre-measured portions can go straight from the freezer to the pan. Another way to freeze is to place the paste in a small zip-closure bag, remove excess air, seal the bag, and press on it lightly to spread the paste into a thin layer. When frozen, pieces can then simply be snapped off.
Roasted Garlic Paste
Pissa Bhuna Lussan
Makes about 1 cup
This is not a true Indian basic, but it lends itself well to our cuisine. When a recipe calls for flame-roasting whole heads of garlic, I turn to this method—it's a lot less messy. You can do this for any quantity of garlic cloves.
1 1 ⁄ 2 cups fresh garlic cloves, peeled
Preheat oven 400°F. Place the garlic cloves in a small pie dish or any other baking pan and roast until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then process in a blender or coarsely mash with a fork. Or just put the roasted cloves in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 month or freeze up to 6 months. With no water added, puréed roasted garlic is easy to separate even when it is frozen.
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
Pissa Adrak-Lussan
Makes about 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups
Used universally in India and ground fresh every time the need arises (which is 2 to 3 times on an average day), this paste is almost the first task of the morning cooking ritual. Once made, it gets added to breakfast breads and to whatever else is the savory call of the morning. In America, I find that making it in bulk at one time and having it available to me makes cooking easier. When making this paste, there's one thing I do that is out of the norm—I mix in some oil. The purists may not agree, but I find that it increases the refrigerator life of the paste and, more importantly, the paste does not darken but retains its original color.
A word of caution: Cut the ginger crosswise, across the grain, into thin slices, or you'll get long fibers in the paste. Also, make sure the storage containers you use are really airtight, so your whole refrigerator doesn't smell of garlic.
1 cup quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 cup fresh garlic cloves, peeled
1 to 3 tablespoons water
In a food processor or a blender, process together the ginger and garlic to make a smooth paste, adding the water as needed for blending. Transfer to an airtight container, mix in some oil (vegetable, peanut, or olive) until it forms a 1 ⁄ 8 -inch layer on top of the paste, and refrigerate up to 15 days or freeze up to 6 months.
Hyderabadi Ginger-Garlic
Basic Garlic Paste
Pissa Lussan
Makes about 1 cup
Although it is acceptable to use oil- or water-packed bottled minced garlic that is available in supermarkets all over America (though I personally do not care for it), nothing can replace the true flavor (and the nutritional benefits) of fresh garlic. It is true that peeling fresh garlic cloves can be a chore, but these days even the peeled ones are readily available. Buy yours at the local farmers' markets, where you can guarantee freshness.
1 1 ⁄ 2 cups fresh garlic cloves, peeled
2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed
1. Put the garlic in a blender (not a food processor, or the paste will not be smooth) and process, adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time, using only the minimum amount necessary to make a smooth paste.
2. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 15 days. Because garlic paste is pungent, be sure to seal it very tightly with plastic wrap under the lid. This will ensure that the rest of your refrigerator doesn't smell garlicky. You can also freeze pre-measured quantities (because this paste freezes as one big block that is almost impossible to break without thawing) about 3 months. Pre-measured portions can go straight from the freezer to the pan. Another way to freeze is to place the paste in a small zip-closure bag, remove excess air, seal the bag, and press on it lightly to spread the paste into a thin layer. When frozen, pieces can then simply be snapped off.
Roasted Garlic Paste
Pissa Bhuna Lussan
Makes about 1 cup
This is not a true Indian basic, but it lends itself well to our cuisine. When a recipe calls for flame-roasting whole heads of garlic, I turn to this method—it's a lot less messy. You can do this for any quantity of garlic cloves.
1 1 ⁄ 2 cups fresh garlic cloves, peeled
Preheat oven 400°F. Place the garlic cloves in a small pie dish or any other baking pan and roast until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then process in a blender or coarsely mash with a fork. Or just put the roasted cloves in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 month or freeze up to 6 months. With no water added, puréed roasted garlic is easy to separate even when it is frozen.
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
Pissa Adrak-Lussan
Makes about 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups
Used universally in India and ground fresh every time the need arises (which is 2 to 3 times on an average day), this paste is almost the first task of the morning cooking ritual. Once made, it gets added to breakfast breads and to whatever else is the savory call of the morning. In America, I find that making it in bulk at one time and having it available to me makes cooking easier. When making this paste, there's one thing I do that is out of the norm—I mix in some oil. The purists may not agree, but I find that it increases the refrigerator life of the paste and, more importantly, the paste does not darken but retains its original color.
A word of caution: Cut the ginger crosswise, across the grain, into thin slices, or you'll get long fibers in the paste. Also, make sure the storage containers you use are really airtight, so your whole refrigerator doesn't smell of garlic.
1 cup quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 cup fresh garlic cloves, peeled
1 to 3 tablespoons water
In a food processor or a blender, process together the ginger and garlic to make a smooth paste, adding the water as needed for blending. Transfer to an airtight container, mix in some oil (vegetable, peanut, or olive) until it forms a 1 ⁄ 8 -inch layer on top of the paste, and refrigerate up to 15 days or freeze up to 6 months.
Hyderabadi Ginger-Garlic
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