Ginger and garlic are mainstays of many cuisines, especially in South Asia.

Instead of chopping them for every dish, blend them into a paste that you can spoon directly into the pan.

Treat the paste as you would the original ingredients, heating it to release aroma and flavor before using in a recipe.

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So here it is. Let's begin.

Step 1: Ingredients Used

As the name itself indicates ingredients needed are:

Ginger
Garlic
Salt
Vegetable Oil

Step 2: Making a Small Batch

Wash and dry the ginger.

Any moisture will shorten the shelf life of the paste.

Pat the ginger dry thoroughly before you continue, and make sure your kitchen equipment is dry.

Moisture not only shortens the life span of the paste also forms fungus and any bacteria on the paste.

Step 3: Chopping Ginger

Chop the ginger into rough cubes.

If you have mature ginger with wrinkly, brown skin, peel it before chopping. You do not need to peel young ginger with soft, yellow skin.

Start with some ginger, or about 1 cup after chopping.Some cooks prefer to add more ginger (up to double this amount), but wait until you taste the final product.

It's easy to overpower the garlic.Young ginger has a less pungent taste than old ginger.You can use much more without overpowering the garlic.

Step 4: Garlic Cloves

Find the freshest garlic possible. As garlic ages, its aroma and flavor becomes stronger and stronger. Besides overwhelming other ingredients, these aromatic compounds can turn your paste a surprising blue-green color.

Start with fresh garlic to avoid these effects.

Cut out any green sprouts from the garlic, which have a harsh burning taste.

Separate the cloves and drop them in a large, metal bowl.

Take a second metal bowl the same size.

Place it upside down over the first bowl.Shake the two bowls vigorously for a couple minutes to remove the peels.

Step 5: Blend Together and Preserve

Blend together ginger, garlic, and salt. Combine the ginger and garlic in a food processor or blender. Add a generous pinch of salt so the paste lasts a little longer. Scrape down the sides between pulses.

Pour in about ½ tbsp of vegetable oil near the end of the blending process. Choose an oil without a strong flavor, such as canola, corn, or safflower oil. Slowly pour in more oil if the blender is stuck, a dash at a time.\

Store in the refrigerator.

Place the paste in a clean, dry jar. Put it in the coldest part of your fridge, usually at the far back.