Indian and Asian restaurants are plentiful in the Las Vegas Valley, but some days you’d just rather eat at home. And even when you’re feeling lazy, you might have a hankering for things masala and stir-fry. The problem? These dishes often depend on lots of prep work, including making a ginger and garlic paste to act as an integral layer of flavor.

While you can’t get away from chopping up the other stuff, Laxmi Ginger-Garlic Paste is one good shortcut. Sure, it’s not quite as good as making the paste from scratch, but once all the ingredients are assembled and cooked, the store-bought version works fine. Pop some of the paste into a pan with the oil at the start of your recipe, and cook it for about 30 seconds before adding the rest of the ingredients. (And for those who care, the paste is made in the U.S. without MSG or artificial colors.)