There are many ways to use ginger in cooking. You can include it in numerous recipes, as it goes well with a wide range of foods, such as fish, meat and vegetables. You can also prepare many baked goods with ginger, such as muffins, cakes and biscuits. It is also very popular in drinks, for example you can use it to prepare an herbal tea, a punch or a refreshing drink.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Peel and Cut the Ginger
Step 1. Peel the ginger root with a spoon
Hold it firmly on the cutting board with one hand and scrape off the skin using a simple spoon. Being dry and thin it should come off easily. Do not use the peeler to avoid removing part of the pulp along with the peel.
Peeling the ginger root with a spoon may not be able to remove all the peel. If there are any hard or hard to reach parts, you can remove them with a small knife
Step 2. Trim the ends of the ginger
Hold it steady on the cutting board and cut off the ends to give it a square shape. This will make it easier to slice it and measure the amount needed.
Step 3. Slice the ginger
Cut it into slices or thin slices following the shape of the root. Try to give it an even thickness, based on the size required by the recipe. Start by giving it 1cm thick and then cut it into smaller pieces if the preparation calls for it
Ginger will not lose its shape during cooking. If you intend to make a soup or stew, you can give it the size of the other vegetables
Step 4. If you intend to prepare noodles or an oriental-style mixed vegetable dish, cut it into julienne strips
Overlap 4-5 slices obtained in the previous step and cut them into very thin strips.
The julienne shape is suitable for noodles and for all dishes where vegetables are also cut this way
Step 5. Grate the ginger if you intend to make a baked product
Generally, cake and cookie recipes require the ginger to be grated. Peel it with a spoon, then grate it using a grater with small holes or blades, such as the "Microplane". The result will be thick, pasty and free of lint.
Method 2 of 4: Savory Ginger Recipes
Step 1. Flavor a soup or curry with ginger
After peeling it, place it on the cutting board and cut it into slices or slices of about 1 cm thick. This is the right size for recipes that require long cooking, such as soups, curries and stews. For example you can use it to prepare:
- An Indian-style spiced carrot soup;
- A sweet potato soup with miso;
- Vietnamese pho with chicken;
- A vegan soup with coconut and spices.
Step 2. Pair the ginger with the fish
It is great for adding flavor to mild-tasting fish, such as cod. You can use it sliced or grated; combine it with the other flavorings and sprinkle it on the fish before cooking it in the oven. Set the oven temperature to 250 ° C, cover the pan and let the fish cook until its flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Ginger goes well with cod, salmon, hake, sea bream, red snapper, sea bass and sea bass
Step 3. Make an oriental noodle dish with ginger, vegetables and a source of protein
Cut the root into thin slices, then overlap 4-5 slices and cut them into strips. Add a handful to the other vegetables in the wok and sauté them over high heat.
Get inspired by Chinese cuisine recipes. You can use chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu if you want to make a vegetarian dish. Vegetables you can pair with ginger include broccoli, carrots, and bean sprouts
Step 4. Make a glaze for the vegetables, fish or roast with grated ginger
For a mild-flavored glaze, combine 3 tablespoons (60 g) of honey, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sherry vinegar, a tablespoon of fresh ginger - peeled and grated - and a few pinches of ground black pepper. Brush the glaze over the vegetables, fish, pork chops, or roast.
If the main ingredient of the dish requires a long cooking, when there are 15 minutes to the end of the time you can brush it again with the glaze
Step 5. Pair the ginger with baked vegetables
It goes especially well with vegetables that have an equally dense texture, such as carrots, turnips, beets and sweet potatoes. Peel a piece of fresh ginger (about 5 cm long) and cut it first into very thin slices and then into strips, overlapping 4-5 slices at a time. Cut the vegetables into cubes, mix them with the ginger and pour them into a baking dish, then bake them in the oven at 220 ° C for 30-45 minutes.
Pair roasted vegetables with pilaf or steamed rice
Method 3 of 4: Sweet Ginger Recipes
Step 1. Make the gingerbread
Most recipes indicate using powdered ginger combined with other spices, but if you prefer you can use fresh grated ginger: this will give the gingerbread a softer texture and a more intense and spicy flavor.
The flavor of gingerbread improves over the hours. If possible, prepare it at least a day in advance
Step 2. Prepare the "pumpkin pie", the typical American pumpkin pie
It's a spicy fall dessert where the cinnamon flavor generally prevails, but you can bring out that of the powdered ginger by adding a small piece of fresh root. Grate it and add about one and a half tablespoons (10 g) to the cake filling before putting it in the oven.
If you want to serve the cake with whipped cream, you can also flavor the latter with a pinch of powdered ginger, in order to enhance the taste of the filling
Step 3. Make the ginger cookies
They are a typically Christmas classic in which powdered ginger is generally used, but you can add 3 tablespoons (18 g) of fresh grated ginger to make the dough softer and to accentuate the spicy taste.
If you want to replace powdered ginger with freshly grated ginger, you need to cut the serving size in half. For example, if the recipe says to use 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger, replace it with a teaspoon of peeled and grated fresh ginger
Step 4. Add ginger to the mixture of a citrus cake or donut of your choice
With ginger, even the simplest cake turns into an inviting and fragrant delight. It goes well in particular with lemon, orange, lime and all other citrus fruits. Add 2 teaspoons of grated ginger to the cake mix before baking.
While the cake cools, you can make a ginger glaze very simple: pour the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add the ginger syrup, until the glaze has taken on the correct consistency
Step 5. Add fresh ginger to the muffin dough
Chop 55 g of ginger with the food processor without peeling the root. When you have chopped evenly, combine it with the sugar respecting the dose provided by the original recipe. Add the rest of the ingredients and bake the muffins in the oven. You can use ginger to enrich different types of muffins:
- Blueberries muffin;
- Muffins with pears and walnuts;
- Lemon and poppy seed muffins.
Method 4 of 4: Drinks with Ginger
Step 1. Make a ginger tea using the fresh sliced root
Instead of buying a tea bag, infuse 30 g of fresh ginger root in 250 ml of boiling water. You must first peel the root and cut it into thin slices. Heat the water in a saucepan over high heat and allow the ginger to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Filter the herbal tea before pouring it into the cup.
If you wish, add a few drops of lemon juice and sweeten the herbal tea with honey
Step 2. Make ginger syrup for use in cocktails
Dissolve 150 g of sugar in 240 ml of water while heating it over medium heat in a saucepan. When the sugar has dissolved completely, turn off the heat and add 50 g of sliced ginger. Put a lid on the saucepan and let the ginger steep in the syrup overnight at room temperature. The next day, filter the syrup and use it as you like. For a simple and refreshing option, you can pour 60ml of syrup into a glass and fill it with sparkling water. Stir before serving your ginger drink.
- The ginger syrup obtained with the indicated doses is sufficient to prepare 8 drinks.
- Transfer the leftover syrup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It will have a deadline of approximately 7 days.
Step 3. Make a hot ginger punch
Peel a 2-3 cm long piece of ginger, cut it into cubes and put it in a saucepan with 250 ml of water. Add the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon of honey. Heat the punch over medium heat until it starts to smoke. At that point, pour it into the cup and drink it in small sips while it is hot.
For an alcoholic version of the punch, add 30ml of whiskey or brandy directly into the cup
Step 4. Add ginger to golden milk (or golden milk, a turmeric-based Ayurvedic drink)
For 2 people, pour 475 ml of coconut milk into a small saucepan and add half a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger, a tablespoon of grated fresh turmeric and 3-4 black peppercorns. Heat the milk over medium heat and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes. Filter the golden milk before pouring it into the cups.
