Masala pastes are a boon to keep in stock in your refrigerator. They come in handy when you a in a real rush but need to cook and flavour food well The following points should be kept in mil to make masala pastes last longer: Never touch them with wet spoons or soiled fingers while removing them Always use a dry spoon.
If you are a regular user, keep fixed jars to refill as you finish Keep the same jar for the same paste each time, so flavours don't mix Make enough to last about 3-4 weeks on an average. Best quality pastes are got from grinding on a grinding stone - use a small wet electrical grinder, if you don't have stone.
Where water is allowed, use as little as possible, and use boiled cooled water The texture of these pastes should be like that of soft cold cream. Not too dry and not too runny. Choose tight fitting nonmetal lids for jars, to avoid rust spoiling the contents. Since most of these pastes will have some amount of extra salt, use salt sparingly in any dish, and add more only after tasting the dish.