Ginger is one of the spices that is both good for health and makes your food much more delicious and fragrant. However, did you know how to mince ginger the right way? Let’s find out in this article with KITCHENBAR!
How to Mince Ginger: Traditional Method
There are many methods for mincing ginger. Depending on your personal preference or recipe, you can choose to mince the ginger more coarsely, or you can mince it very finely, almost into a powder. With little preparation and common household items, you can chop ginger into many different types of root.
- Step 1: Trim the ginger.
- Step 2: Peel the ginger (you can use a spoon, peeler or knife).
- Step 3: Cut the ginger into “coins” or strips.
- Step 4: Grate the ginger and mince it finely.
Step 1: Trim the ginger
Usually ginger comes in the form of large pieces with branches attached at different angles. Depending on how much ginger you need, you may want to take a piece from the larger part of the root, or you may just want a few small sprigs.
If you’re using all of the roots, prune the branches so you can split them. If a few pieces of ginger rind don’t bother you, don’t prune. They will not interfere with finely chopped ginger.
Step 2: Peel the ginger
- Use a spoon. Using a spoon is the preferred method of peeling ginger by most chefs. Use a spatula to remove the paper-thin skin of the ginger without losing too much of the flesh.
- Use a spoon with a very thin edge. Secure the piece of ginger to the cutting board on its flat side (if the bottom of the ginger root is bumpy, simply cut the piece of ginger apart for something flat to anchor it). Then use quick motions to tear off the ginger skin with one side of the spatula.
- Use a peeler. This method will remove some of the ginger’s flesh, but not as much as using a knife. Hold the piece of ginger at the bottom and push the peeler across the piece of ginger, away from you. Use a large bowl to catch any flakes or flakes off your sink.
Use a knife. You will lose a lot of ginger using this method, but if you are in a hurry, it will do. It is best to use a small knife, such as a paring knife.
Hold the ginger with your non-dominant hand and peel it with a knife as you would an apple. Push the blade under the skin and place your thumb over the hidden blade. Push the blade toward and through your thumb, with your thumb following the blade down the length of the ginger root. Use your other hand to guide the cuts.
Step 3: Cut the ginger into “coins” or strips
First, cut the peeled ginger root lengthwise so you get “coins,” or round pieces. Line these coins up a coin or two, then cut them into thin strips, or “matchsticks”. Then, cut perpendicular to your matchstick lines, cutting them into small cubes. Randomly cut these blocks a few times if you want even smaller pieces.
Rather than “coins”, some people prefer to cut strips along the length of the ginger. With these longer pieces, you can then cut them into matchsticks and cubes. This method is better if you don’t mind cooking larger pieces of ginger.
Step 4: Grate the ginger and mince it finely
This method works best with a large, heavy knife, like a cleaver, but a large, flat-bladed knife can also work.
Cut the ginger into thick pieces. To crush the coins, you can use the flat side of the blade. They will “crumble”, leaving small pieces that are easy to chop quickly. If your knife isn’t heavy enough, you can place the flat side of the blade on the ginger, then pound it with your fist or palm.
Using Tools to Mince Ginger
Use a grater or microplane to finely chop the ginger
Microplane is like a very fine squeegee, and is often used to make covers. However, if you don’t have a small duct, the extractor will work just fine. This method usually produces a lot of ginger juice, so you’ll want to make sure to make it on a bowl or plate.
Scrape the peeled ginger on a griddle or grater, occasionally removing the sticky pulp on top and placing it in a pile. This process can take some time, but you will end up with very fine pieces of ginger that are almost like pulp and cannot be found in your final dish.
Use a food processor
Food processors are usually better for large amounts of ginger – too little ginger, and most of them will get stuck under the blade. Use a food processor when you want to chop whole roots.
If you don’t need the whole root, but still want to use a food processor, the ginger will solidify quite well when wrapped in plastic. If you’re cooking with frozen ginger, you don’t even need to defrost it – the frozen water evaporates very quickly, leaving you with usable ginger.
Use a small blender or a nutribullet
If you are making a sauce or marinade, you can use a powerful blender to grind the ginger. Many blenders require liquid to keep the motor from stalling, so only use this method if you’re making something liquid with ginger.
Finely chop the ginger before putting it in the blender with the other liquids. Be sure to blend completely. Remove the blender from the base and check the large pieces with a fork to make sure you don’t fall apart.
Prepare the Ginger for any Recipe
The smaller pieces of ginger you use, the smoother your recipe will be. If you’re cooking a finely pureed soup, you probably won’t want larger pieces of ginger, while in a stir-fry or curry, the size of the chopped fresh ginger will blend easily into the thicker texture of the ginger. vegetables.
For best results, grate ginger when required and grate ginger according to recipe instructions. If you’re making it from scratch without a recipe, consider the texture of the dish – grate ginger for foods with a smooth texture and mince it for your thick, chewy meal.
Some health Benefits of Minced or Grated Ginger
- Relieves common cold symptoms like runny nose and itchy throat.
- Strengthens the body’s immunity and anti-oxidants.
- Contains the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving compound, gingerol.
- May improve motion sickness for some people and ease colic.
- May improve some symptoms of morning sickness in pregnant women.
- May relieve migraine or headache symptoms.
Storing the Minced Ginger
Ginger dries pretty quickly when you store it on the counter, and it only gets a little better when refrigerated. Fortunately, ginger keeps quite well in the freezer. If you have finely chopped, you can freeze in ice trays with a teaspoon in each freezer. You can also wrap the roots whole and freeze them or cut them into pieces and then wrap and freeze them individually.
Final Words
Hopefully, after reading this article of KITCHENBAR, you will no longer have to ask how to mince ginger! Try it out at home and share your results with us. Each of your sharing is the motivation for us to keep trying!