Garam Masala

Left to right from the top row: Black Cardamom, Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Black Peppercorns, Fennel Seeds, Star Anise, Mace and Bay Leaves.

Garam Masala is a spice mix made from several whole spices. It is an essential spice in Indian cuisine, and adds a ton of flavor (and heat) when sprinkled on a dish when serving. This is a must have in your spice pantry, whether you buy it ready-made or prepare it at home. For many years I used Garam Masala that was either made by my mother or bought it from the store. In recent years, I’ve been making it at home, since I found some of the store bought ones a little too hot for my liking.

There is no one fixed recipe for Garam Masala and you can adjust the heat-level, flavor and aroma to your liking by adjusting, adding or leaving out some of the spices. The required spices are Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Black Cardamoms, Cloves, Cinnamon and Black Peppercorns. To add more flavor, you can also add from the optional list of spices in the ingredients list.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
4-5 Black Cardamoms
1 tbsp Cloves
2″ piece of Cinnamon
1 tsp Black Peppercorns (this adds heat to the Garam Masala; adjust per your taste)

Optional spices:
2-3 medium sized Bay Leaves
10 Green Cardamoms
2 blades of Mace
1-2 Star Anise
1/4 tsp Nutmeg Powder
1 tsp Fennel Seeds

Yield: 5-6 tbsp Garam Masala powder

Preparation

1. Add the spices to a heavy bottom pan and toast them at medium to medium-low heat. TIP: If you’re doing this for the first time, then you could toast at medium-low so you can get familiar with the toasting method. When toasting at lower heat, it will take a little longer, but it is easier to manage the toasting process so that you don’t burn the spices.

2. Keep the spices moving by either stirring them or shaking the pan; this ensures they toast uniformly and don’t burn.

3. After a couple of minutes, the spices will turn aromatic and you may see some fumes rising up from the pan. That’s a sign that they are getting toasted. Continue toasting for another 20-30 seconds and watch the spices closely.

TIP: The coriander and cumin seeds may turn a shade darker at the same time that the spices turn aromatic; this is alright but don’t wait for that to happen because you may risk burning the spices. An easy way to check if you’ve roasted the spices enough is to taste the cumin seeds. Take one and chew it (be sure to cool it if it’s still hot!) and if it’s crunchy and turns into a powder when you bite it then it’s done. Also, it should not taste bitter; roasted cumin powder has an earthy, nutty, sweet taste.

4. Turn off the heat and empty the spices into a plate to stop the toasting process and let them cool completely.

5. Grind the spices in a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle to make a fine powder.

TIP: A spice grinder is a great tool to have around the kitchen if you cook with spices. I recommend that you use a dedicated grinder for spices and don’t use the same grinder for grinding other ingredients, such as coffee, so you don’t mix the aromas. I’ve been using the Secura Electric Spice Grinder, for some time now and like it.

Spice grinder featured in the pictures

Curry on!