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    Home » Cooking 101

    How to Peel and Cut Ginger the Right Way?

    September 30, 2020 . By Meeta Arora . 7 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Looking for ways to easily peel and cut ginger? Here is the complete guide to peel, cut, dice and mince ginger the right way to use in any recipe!

    fresh Ginger root cut in 5 ways in small bowls - slice, chop, mince, julienne, grate

    Ginger is a fragrant root that is used as a spice and medicine in many cuisines and parts around the world. It belongs to the same family as the spices of turmeric and cardamom. Ginger comes from the rhizome part of the plant and is more commonly known as the root.

    What is Ginger Good For?

    Ginger is a versatile spice that adds great flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. It is also a great medicine for your scratchy throat or a runny nose. It would give you instant relief.

    Ginger also comes with a whole lot of health benefits like:

    • It boosts your immune system and also detoxifies the body
    • It contains gingerol which is an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving compound.
    • It prevents motion sickness, which is a handy option when traveling with kids.
    • Pregnant women often use ginger for their morning sickness.
    • It helps to prevent and get relief from migraines.

    In short, ginger is a quintessential spice that is all things nice.

    You can use fresh ginger, both peeled or unpeeled, when cooking and it adds a wonderful zing to the dish. You can either mash them or slice them as thin pieces and add them to your dish. I love to add ginger to my Indian Masala Chai.

    How to Clean Ginger?

    When you buy ginger, make sure its root is firm and moist. It is okay if there is a dry patch where the root was cut off. Avoid shriveled roots because the juice of the ginger would have dried up.

    Run the ginger under a tap and rub it well till the dust goes off. Then pat it dry with a kitchen towel and let it dry. You can leave the cleaned ginger on the counter to dry.

    Do you have to Peel Ginger?

    Usually, I don't peel the skin if I am using organic ginger. I just clean it well and use it directly for cooking. If it is not organic, I make sure to peel the ginger before using it.

    How to Peel Ginger?

    The easiest way to peel ginger is to use the back of a spoon or peeler. You can also use a knife to peel the ginger, but you will end up peeling too much of the flesh along with the skin. The spoon's curved edge will help in peeling the skin off quite easily.

    In case you find it difficult, just soak the piece of ginger in warm water for a few minutes to soften the skin.

    peeling ginger root with the back of a spoon.

    But if you are in a hurry or need things done quickly, then you can use the peeler. The peeler will scrape off a thicker layer, adding some wastage. But if the ginger is unruly or crooked, then peeler is more convenient to remove them.

    peeling ginger with a peeler

    How to Slice, Julienne, Chop, Grate or Mince ginger

    The one great thing about ginger is that you can use it as the recipe calls for it. You can make it as a paste for curries, chop for a stir-fry or grate for baking. My favorite way is to grate the ginger for a curry or my afternoon tea.

    Slice Ginger

    You can use a sharp knife to slice the ginger in rounds. Slice the ginger across the grains of the fibers.

    how to slice ginger

    Julienne Ginger

    Stack 2-3 rounds you cut above and cut into thin lengthwise sticks.

    how to julienne ginger

    Chop ginger

    Line up the ginger sticks you cut above, and chop them into small pieces.

    how to chop ginger

    Mince Ginger

    Finely chop the ginger pieces using a chef's knife. You can move the knife right to left and vice versa to mince the ginger.

    how to mince ginger

    Grate Ginger

    Hold one end of the ginger and move it downwards towards the chopping board over the microplane or grater.

    Did you know that you can also freeze ginger in ziploc bags. When you need to use it, you can take out and grate it right away (no need to thaw!).

    how to grate ginger using a microplane or grater

    Ginger Paste

    Add some chopped ginger along with a little touch of oil or water and pulse it in the blender to make a fine paste.

    This paste can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage freeze in ice-cube trays.

    Check here more details about how to make ginger paste.

    Ginger paste in a blender vitamix jar

    Now you have all the ways you can cut ginger to use in various recipes. Enjoy the amazing benefits of ginger in your cooking!

    Here is my detailed post about how to store ginger in the refrigerator or freezer.

    You might also like:

    • The complete guide to Green Chili Peppers
    • How to store Curry Leaves
    • How to make Homemade Garam Masala
    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    fresh Ginger root cut in 5 ways in small bowls - slice, chop, mince, julienne, grate

    How to Peel and Cut Ginger the Right Way

    Meeta Arora
    Looking for ways to easily peel and cut ginger? Here is the complete guide to peel, cut, dice and mince ginger the right way to use in any recipe!
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Course: Pantry Essentials
    Diet: Gluten-free, Vegan
    Method: No-cook
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Total Time: 5 mins

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 piece Fresh Ginger Root
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Clean: Run the ginger under a tap and rub it well till it is cleaned. Then pat it dry with a kitchen towel or leave the cleaned ginger on the kitchen counter to dry.
    • Peel: Use the back of a spoon to remove the skin. In case you find it difficult, soak the piece of ginger in warm water for a few minutes to soften the skin.If you are in a hurry, use the peeler to remove the skin.
      peeling ginger root with the back of a spoon.
    • Slice: Use a sharp knife to slice the ginger in rounds using a chef's knife. Slice the ginger across the grains of the fibers.
      how to slice ginger
    • Julienne: Stack 2-3 rounds you cut above and cut into thin lengthwise sticks.
      how to julienne ginger
    • Chop: Line up the ginger sticks you cut above, and chop them into small pieces.
      how to chop ginger
    • Mince: Finely chop the ginger pieces using a chef's knife. You can move the knife right to left and vice versa to mince the ginger.
      how to mince ginger
    • Grate: Hold one end of the ginger and move it downwards towards the chopping board over the microplane or grater. Freezed ginger can be grated the same way.
      how to grate ginger using a microplane or grater
    • Paste: Add some chopped ginger along with a little touch of oil or water and pulse it in the blender to make a fine paste.
      Ginger paste in a blender vitamix jar

    Notes

    Peel or not? Usually, I don't peel the skin if I am using organic ginger. I just clean it well and use it directly for cooking. If it is not organic, I make sure to peel the ginger before using it.
    Useful Links: 
    • How to store Ginger
    • How to make Ginger Paste

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Keyword how to cut ginger, how to grate ginger, how to mince ginger, how to peel ginger
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Margarita says

      November 24, 2021 at 6:38 pm

      Very good advice on how to best process ginger. Thanks

      Reply
    2. AJ says

      September 27, 2021 at 4:42 pm

      Where was this tutorial when I was learning various curries?! I always buy fresh ginger, then grab the premade paste when I get ready to cook because cutting around the knobs was too time consuming. For shame... After learning that all it took was a spoon to stop throwing away wasted fresh ginger I will never but store bought paste again!!! Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        September 28, 2021 at 11:04 am

        Hi - So happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing back.

        Reply
    3. LeAnn Biter says

      July 26, 2021 at 1:35 pm

      Thank you, I am using go Ginger to make kombucha.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        August 10, 2021 at 3:40 pm

        Sounds wonderful!

        Reply
    4. Darlene says

      April 11, 2021 at 5:28 am

      Very helpful to my start of trying to get healthy with ginger

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        April 23, 2021 at 11:33 am

        Hi Darlene - Glad to hear you found the post helpful!

        Reply

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