Ground Mixed Spices
These recipes will give you a good selection to choose from to suit your own personal taste. Roasting the spices brings out their flavour and also makes them easier to grind. If a blender isn’t available, use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to pound the spices to a fine powder (when the spices are still warm and crisp after roasting this process is made much easier). Store garam masala in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Freezing may help preserve the essential oils.
No 1. Garam Masala
Ingredients
- 25 g Coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 20 g cardamom pods
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 whole nutmeg, finely grated
Directions
- Roast the coriander seeds in a small frying pan over low heat.
- As it starts to smell fragrant, remove to a plate.
- Repeat with cumin seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and cloves, cooking separately until all are fragrant.
- After roasting, peel the cardamom pods, discarding the pods.
- Place the cardamom seeds in a spice grinder with the other roasted spices and blend to a fine powder.
- Stir in the nutmeg to combine.
- Store in an airtight jar.
No 2. Fragrant Spice Garam Masala
Ingredients
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 20 g (1/4 cup) cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground mace or 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
- Roast the cinnamon sticks in a small frying pan over low heat.
- As it starts to smell fragrant, remove to a plate.
- Repeat with the cardamom pods, cloves and mace, if using, cooking separately until all are fragrant.
- After roasting, peel the cardamom pods, discarding the pods.
- Place the cardamom seeds in a spice grinder with the other roasted spices and blend to a fine powder.
- Stir in the nutmeg, if using.
- Store in an airtight jar.
No 3. Kashmiri Garam Masala
Ingredients
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 20 g (1/4 cup) cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/4 whole nutmeg, finely grated
Directions
- Roast the cinnamon stick in a small frying pan over low heat.
- As it starts to smell fragrant, remove to a plate.
- Repeat with cardamom pods, cloves, cumin seeds and peppercorns, cooking separately until all are fragrant.
- After roasting, peel the cardamom pods, discarding the pods.
- Place the cardamom seeds in a spice grinder with the other roasted spices and blend to a fine powder.
- Stir in the nutmeg.
- Store in an airtight jar.
ETAOIN_SHRDLU told me –
Garam Masala usually contains black cardamom rather than green cardamom. You’ll almost certainly need to go to a speciality market (or order online) to get black cardamom, but it makes a fairly significant difference. I’ve also seen blends that include dried bay leaves that get ground up with everything which can be quite nice.
moKatheward told me –
It’s damn good with rice raisin and apricot if you like sugary Any veggies go well with that too And if you re using a rice cooker it’s like a 15min cooking dish Make the rice cook with the spices it’s nom nom nom good 😉