Home made Ginger-Garlic Paste/घर में बनाएं अदरक लहसुन का पेस्ट

Ginger-Garlic Paste

Ginger and garlic are the two spices which are very often required during vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian cooking. There are times that even a house wife finds it taxing to make fresh paste of ginger and garlic every time it is required for cooking. Working ladies and mothers with small children are always stretched for time. I was a working young mother staying in cantonment area, thus had to plan, preserve and economize while running of the house hold, for there used to be times when even simple thing like garlic or ginger would not be available. I used to purchase ginger and garlic in bulk, and make the paste in large quantity at home. That is when I realized that apart from being pure, unadulterated ginger-garlic paste it was proving to be very economical and certainly the taste imparted to the dish by this pate would be exactly like fresh paste. 32 years of my married life and I have yet to purchase marketed Ginger paste, Garlic paste or Ginger-Garlic paste.

I strongly recommend for all of you to atleast try it once to know the benefit of home made spices.

Preparation Time: 15 min.

Making Time: 10 min
Servings: 500 gm. Ginger-garlic Paste.

Ingredients Required For Making Ginger-Garlic Paste:

• 250 gm. Ginger

• 250 gm. Garlic
• 10 ml. Cooking oil (I use sunflower oil) 

• 100 ml. Vinegar (preferably fruit vinegar than synthetic vinegar)

Grape vinegar

Directions For Making Ginger-Garlic Paste:

• Wash ginger thoroughly to remove all soil and dirt attached to it.

• Dry the washed ginger with the help of a towel / cloth.

• Peel the washed and dried ginger 

Peeled Ginger

•  Cut / grate the peeled ginger.

Peeled and Cut Ginger

•  Peel garlic and wash the peeled garlic to make sure no soil or any other dirt is attached to peeled garlic cloves.

• Dry the peeled and washed garlic with the help of towel/cloth.

Peeled Garlic

• Cut peeled, washed, dried garlic to small pieces.

Peeled and Cut Garlic

•  Take the cut garlic and ginger in a mixer/grinder.

• Add 50 ml. of vinegar and grind to smooth paste.

• If required then add remainder of vinegar in small portion.

Ginger and Garlic made to paste in Grape Vinegar

• Add cooking oil and pulse for 30 sec. 
• Store this ginger-garlic paste in a glass bottle.

Ginger-Garlic Paste

•  Store it in the fridge for 3-4 months also and it will neither loose its flavor not go bad.

• If you are taking fruit vinegar then the paste may change color slightly, but not to worry it is the fruit in the vinegar causing the color change, flavor will not change.

• If stored outside , not in fridge then the paste will last for a month minimum, because vinegar acts as preservative.

Tips:

• Any oil with strong taste and flavor should be avoided because it will leave it's own taste and flavor in ginger-garlic paste. 
• Fruit vinegar not only acts as a preservative but also adds nutrition so preferably use fruit vinegar.

• Make sure ginger and garlic are clean and dried before you cut them.

• Do not add water while grinding, always use vinegar. If you do not want to use fruit vinegar then take synthetic white vinegar, but water never.

• Make sure the container in which you are storing the paste is clean and complete dry.

Suggested Variations:

•  Ginger-Garlic paste can be stored in airtight good quality plastic containers also.

Ginger-Garlic Paste in Airtight Container

• Ginger and garlic after cleaning and cutting can be ground separately to made ginger paste and garlic paste.

• You can change the ratio of ginger and garlic from 1:1 to the ratio of your choice and taste.

• White vinegar can be taken instead of fruit vinegar.

Besan ke Laddu/ बेसन के लड्डू (Sweet Balls Of Split Bengal Gram Flour)

Besan Ke Laddu

Besan is flour of Horse Gram pulse from which its brown cover has been removed (Chana Dal).  Chana being very rich in protein and dietary fibers is very good for nutrition. When laddu are made from besan, addition of ghee, sugar, nuts make it almost a complete food though rich in fat. But then why not eat sweet which satiates the sweet tooth as well is nutritious also. I remember the time when I used to walk 5 km. to my college from my home in Almora, India, my mom used to keep 2 laddus in my lunch box so that I get all energy I needed from healthy source and get all nutrition also.

Besan laddu started making their regular appearance in my home because my kids loved these homemade besan ke laddu. Now they have their own family and thrive to learn to make all they used to eat and loved when they were young. Now also before first batch of laddu finish second batch is made by me because I also love them very much.

Preparation Time: 15 min.

Cooking Time: 90 min

Servings: 50 medium sizes Laddu

Ingredients Required For Making Besan Ke Laddu:

• 500 gm. Besan

• 500 gm Bura / Sugar

  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/11/bura-dry-grainy-powdered-sugar.html

• 10-15 Green Cardamom

• 15-20 Almonds

• 100 gm. dry coconut

• 350-400 gm. Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Direction for Making Besan Ke Laddu:

• Peel cardamom and coarsely powder the seeds and keep covered aside.

• Grate coconut and keep aside.

Grated Coconut

• Make bura and keep aside.

• Cut almonds and keep aside.

• Take besan in a thick bottom wok and keep the wok on gas on low flame.

Besan Being Roasted in Thick Bottom Wok

After 10 min. of roasting Besan on low flame

• Roast the besan on low flame till it changes the color to light pink brown, with continuous stirring. (roughly 30-35 min.)

After 35 min. of roasting the Besan on low flame

• Wonderful smell will start coming when the besan is roasted.

• Add ghee to the roasted besan and cook on low flame for 15 min. with continuous stirring and turning the mixture upside down.

Ghee added to roasted Besan

Besan and Ghee mixed nicely

• The color of besan and ghee mixture will become darker after 15 min. of cooking on low flame with continuous stirring.

Besan cooked with Ghee for 15 min. on low flame

•  Switch off the gas and add Bura (sugar heated and then powdered), grated coconut, finely cut almonds and cardamom powder.

Bura,Almonds,Cardamom powder and grated coconut added to Besan and Ghee mixture

•  Mix nicely to make a homogenous, smooth mixture.

All ingredients mixed to make uniform, homogenous mixture

• Let it cool enough to a temperature so that you can hold the mixture in your palm.

• Take little amount of mixture in your palm and bind it nicely to make a ball.

• Repeat till all mixture is finished.

Besan Ke Laddu

• Keep the balls in a plate at a distance of 1-2 mm. apart till they cool to room temperature.

• Store these laddus in air tight container, in dry place.

• These Laddus can be stored for a month also that is if they are not polished off by your family before that.

Tips:

• Never use high flame at any stage of cooking while making Besan ke laddu.

• Always take thick bottom wok.

• Do not allow the mixture to cool completely while making laddu from cooked besan mixture.

• If the mixture becomes cold warm it little, but do not heat too much else sugar will melt and caramelize.

• Always make bura in advance and keep in an airtight container.

Suggested Variations:

• Raisins, Pistachios, cashew nut can be added to the mixture along with almonds.

• If you do not want to make bura powdered sugar can be added but it surely changes the taste and texture of Laddu.

•  Chana dal can be roasted and then made to Besan this will reduce the roasting time and work while making Laddu.

• You can roll the Laddu in powdered sugar / Bura / desiccated coconut.

Besan Laddu rolled in Bura (Dry sugar) powder

Dip your palms in cold water in between while rolling the mixture to laddu