Ask an Indian cook what they could not work without and many will say the same two things: garlic and ginger. Together they form the base of countless dishes - the first thing into the pan and the foundation everything else is built on.
Ginger-garlic paste
In most Indian kitchens, garlic and ginger are blended into a paste and cooked in hot oil at the very start. Brief as it is, this step sets the tone for the whole dish - mellowing the raw bite and releasing a deep, savoury warmth.
Fresh over powder
Powders and salts have their place, but nothing matches fresh. Freshly crushed garlic and grated ginger bring a brightness that dried versions lose. It is one of the small disciplines that separates a great curry from an ordinary one.
More than flavour
Both have long been valued for more than taste - ginger for digestion, garlic for warmth. Centuries of home cooking built them into the everyday, long before anyone called them superfoods.
Built into every dish
That foundation runs through almost everything on our menu. Read more about how we cook.
