If you are an every day ginger person then you should know about substitution for ginger too. Ground ginger substitutions are easily available and some of them might be in your kitchen right now. Ginger is a day-to-day kitchen ingredient that has been in use since the beginning of time in Indian cooking. It is pungent, spicy, and the light woody flavor is enough to bring a flavorful kick to any dish. Not only that, ginger has been used as a medicine for digestive purposes and to reduce throat irritations for a long time in India.
Since it is a very common, and most-in-demand spice for your meal, you might, under some conditions, find yourself out of ginger. What should you choose as the substitution for ginger? Well, not to worry, for there is a list of spices that prove to be a great substitution for ginger and bring that same zesty flavor. There are many ingredients that can be used as ground ginger substitute or substitute for ginger.
Some of the best substitutions for ginger are listed below.
Table of Contents
Ground Ginger Substitute (Ginger Powder)
Ground ginger is the powdered form of sweet spice and is considered to be much stronger when compared to fresh ginger. About a quarter of this ground ginger powder is used to replace one teaspoon of fresh ginger. But the point is, is there any substitution for ginger with the same flavor and taste? Yes, there are some ingredients that can be used as a ground ginger substitute.
However, substituting such a highly strong flavoring agent calls for other strong spices. Here is the list of spices that can act as a substitution for ginger and great flavoring ginger alternatives too –
1. Mace – Substitution For Ginger
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Can mace be considered a substitution for ginger? The sweet aromatic flavor of mace has a warmth that makes it a great replacement for ginger. The most common use of this spice is in baked goods such as donuts, cakes, and pastries. Apart from all that, it also goes well with veggies such as cabbages, beans, carrots, and asparagus. Mace flavor is perfect to be used as a ground ginger substitute.
2. Cinnamon – Ground Ginger Substitute
If we take a look at it carefully, we’ll find that cinnamon might be the next most commonly used spice after ginger in this list. It can be a great substitution for ginger because of its aroma, flavor and easy usage. It has a warm flavor with a slight hint of sweetness, which matches very well with the taste of ginger. This spice is mostly used in a powdered form or as a stick. Cinnamon powdered form can be easily turned into a ginger alternative or ground ginger substitute.
3. Ground Nutmeg – Substitute For Ground Ginger
Nutmeg is another one of those sweet spices that’ll be a great substitution for ginger. Even after belonging to the sweet spice quartet (along with cinnamon, allspice, and clove), nutmeg, unlike the rest of the members, tends to go as a solo flavoring ingredient. It goes very well with vegetables and meat dishes. The powdered nutmeg form gives a nice flavor in most dishes and is suitable to be used as a ground ginger substitute too.
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4. Allspice – Substitute For Ground Ginger
A sweet spice that is also mildly spicy in taste, Allspice is an authentic Caribbean spice that is used to add that zesty and warm flavor associated with ginger. In other words, adding a pinch of this spice to your meal might just make you forget about ginger. Because of its similar flavor to ginger, it can be a nice substitution for it. What you get from ginger you can easily get from ground ginger substitute also.
Substitute For Fresh Ginger
Fresh ginger, quite unlike ground ginger, is rather weak in flavor, thus it is often used in large quantities. However, the replacement for ginger can be easily found, the first one being ground ginger itself, which is more powerful and required in less quantity for addition. One of the best substitutions for ginger can also be galangal.
On the other hand, some other mixtures can be used as a replacement for ginger, such as the one that involves garlic and lime, or black pepper and lime. They would also do the trick in the form of substitution for ginger.
If you are using ginger for baking or any other ginger-based desserts, you can also use crystallized ginger also.
What Is Crystallized Ginger/ Candied Ginger?
Who doesn’t love candies? Crystallized ginger/ candied ginger is fresh ginger cooked in sugar syrup and rolled in sugar. The process to make crystallized ginger is a little bit long but the end product is delicious.
To make candied ginger firstly you have to peel fresh ginger and then cut it into pieces. Now cook these ginger pieces in simple sugar syrup and then let them dry. As a result, you will get a sweet and perfect substitution for ginger in a form of crystallized ginger.
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6 Recipes You Can Make With Ginger
Here are six recipes you can make using Fresh Ginger or Powdered Ginger.
1. Adraki Paneer
A warm tomato-based gravy with loads of ginger flavor and velvety pieces of paneer. Adraki paneer is a very common dish in most North Indian restaurants and can be easily made at home too.
2. Adarki Chicken
Boneless pieces of chicken in onion-tomato gravy and juliennes of ginger. If not an Indian gravy, incorporate some desi-Chinese masala to make a fusion ginger chicken recipe.
3. Ginger Cookies
Perfect for the fall season, ginger in cookies tastes great with a cup of tea. Family tea time is about to be amped up!
4. Asian Stir Fry With Ginger
A dash of freshly ground ginger is a game-changer in an oriental stir fry. Be it vegetables, meat, tofu or paneer, no stir fry is complete without some garlic and ginger. Asian flavors include warm spices like ginger.
5. Adrak Achaar
Making ginger pickle or adrak ka achaar is a five-minute task and requires just lemon and salt. Goes perfect with a light summer lunch. Yes, you can buy it off the shelf, but the fresh flavors of an adrak achaar made at home are unmatched.
6. Kashmiri Cuisine
Kashmiri cuisine uses fennel seeds and dry ginger powder to flavor their dishes like dum aloo and nadru.
How To Store Ginger
If you want to restore the freshness of ginger for a long period of time, it’d be better to know how to store ginger in the correct way. There are many ways cited below to store your ginger’s freshness.
- First of all, wash ginger thoroughly and let them dry.
- If you keep ginger in the fridge, then keep ginger in a paper bag or cotton cloth to restore ginger freshness. Never keep ginger loosely in the fridge, it will dry soon.
- If you want to store ginger for more than 20- 25 days then peel ginger and store it in an airtight bag. There should be no air in the bag to maintain freshness. Now you can keep it in the fridge.
- To maintain ginger flavor for a longer period of time, you can freeze ginger also. Freeze ginger in an ice tray and then use frozen ginger as per your wish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we answered a few interesting FAQs about the benefits of consuming ginger.
1. What we can use while cooking food in place of ginger?
There are many things that have a close flavor to ginger and can be used in place of ginger in recipes such as cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, allspice, etc. By using these you can have a flavor that is close to ginger.
2. What can be used in place of ginger paste?
Nutmeg, mace, allspice, a cinnamon paste can be used in place of ginger paste to give heat to your dish.
3. Which is better – ginger powder or fresh ginger?
It’s always advised to use fresh ingredients in your food. When you don’t have fresh ginger you can substitute it with ginger powder to have a similar taste. If you want to have ginger benefits then try to have fresh ginger.
4. How much ginger should be consumed in a day?
Around 4 grams of ginger is enough in a day. An increased amount of ginger intake can cause harmful effects also.
5. Can we eat raw or cooked ginger?
Ginger is known to give relief from muscle pain. Ginger can be eaten in raw or cooked form. But always keep in mind to consume the right amount of ginger to get ginger benefits.
Final Words
There are a lot of other spices that can be added as a substitution for ginger and still retain the flavor of the dish. But, often the exact zesty and warm flavor of fresh or ground ginger might be hard to replicate, thus it is advised that if you run out of ginger, the best alternative and replacement for ginger would be to go and re-stock it!
Check if you are allergic to any spices before making a swap!