Handy tip for making curries

abbecer

Hi all. I've posted this on another thread but it's 70 odd pages so I think it has got lost. My Asian friend has given me lots of great advice about making curries and using up ingredients. She blends ginger and garlic into olive oil and freezes in an ice cube tray then puts into freezer bags. She does the same with coriander, chillies, and other ingredients. When she needs them she just takes out a cube. I thought it was a great idea for saving time and money. I have often thrown out fresh ginger and herbs that are past their best. This way they are preserved for future use. On her advice I now chop and freeze any vegetables that have gone a bit soft (peppers, cauliflower etc) these are also great for bulking out curries.

Hope this helps someone

abbecer

Just to add that she makes curries out of almost any vegetables. Made me the best curry I have ever tasted.......sprout!!!

Living_proof

I had never thought about ginger and garlic, but I am sure this would cut a lot of waste as even a small amount of ginger is normally more than I really need. I am after some good curry paste recipes for madras, bhuna and vindaloo or thereabouts and if anyone has any I would be most grateful.

I make curries every couple of weeks and freeze them and also pilau rice which has been very successsful. Last night I had a curry which cost 44p per portion based on patak's paste, onions, chicken thighs deboned, leftover spinach, mushrooms and cauliflower. The resulting mix was mainly veg but very tasty. I have most spices going so a good recipe would definitely be a moneysaver.

abbecer

I'm not sure when I will see my friend next but I will see if she has any recipes for the pastes you are wanting. Her recipes are amazing.

laurel7172

I can't eat salt, so I make and freeze a lot of things in ice cube trays to add instant flavour when I'm cooking. Mushroom cubes, carrot and celery cubes, chipotle paste. But for instant garlic the nicest (and easiest) thing is elephant garlic. I buy the little baskets of it when it's in season, roast and skin the whole heads and pop them in the freezer. Then I just throw one in when I'm cooking, and mash it with a fork.

abbecer

Thanks Laurel7172 that's a great idea. Never heard of elephant garlic. Assuming it's the really big bulbs? Will definitely do this.

MandM90

I'd never thought of doing it in oil, but seeing as you fry the herbs/garlic anyway at the beginning it makes sense. I always freeze leftover wine and stock though - I pop a few cubes of wine into spag bol when I'm cooking the meat.

lellyg

I always freeze leftover wine

Don't think we have such a thing in our house;)

JMurph

Leftover wine? never heard of it!

Justamum

abbecer wrote: »

She blends ginger and garlic into olive oil and freezes in an ice cube tray then puts into freezer bags.

Does the oil freeze? That's probably a stupid question though! I always freeze fresh ginger as soon as I buy it - peel and chop it into smallish pieces then put in a small plastic box.

mouseymousey99

I keep a 'lump' of ginger in the freezer, just take it out and grate however much you want then put it back in the freezer.