Fresh Ginger: Vegan Cooking Guide
Fresh ginger root brings warmth, spice and a clean brightness to vegan cooking that ground ginger simply can't replicate. It's a cornerstone of South Asian and East Asian cuisines - paired with garlic and onion it forms the 'holy trinity' of curry bases. When young and fresh, it's moist and almost floral; older ginger is more fibrous and intensely spicy.
How to Use Fresh Ginger
Peel with the edge of a teaspoon (it follows the contours better than a peeler). Grate on a microplane for pastes and marinades; cut into matchsticks or slice for stir-fries. Fry with garlic before adding spices.
Nutrition
Contains gingerol, a powerful anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory compound; also a source of manganese and magnesium.
Chef's Tips
- Freeze whole ginger root - it grates beautifully from frozen without needing to peel first.
- Ginger and garlic in equal quantities paste forms the base of hundreds of Indian and Chinese dishes.
- To make ginger tea, slice a 3cm piece and simmer in 500ml water for 10 minutes with a cinnamon stick.
→ Find the best substitutes for fresh ginger
Vegan Recipes Using Fresh Ginger
Learn to cook with fresh ginger on video
Our Cook Like A Pro course covers vegan cooking techniques including how to get the most from plant-based proteins, flavour bases and dairy alternatives. Watch step-by-step with chefs Rupert Worden and Lisa Hinze.
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