Mesmerizing Homemade Garam Masala
Homemade Garam Masala has the power to transform a simple dish into an enticing feast. By having this aromatic blend in your pantry, you gain the freedom to create mesmerizing dishes bursting with flavor and aroma.
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Chronicles of Garam Masala
Garam Masala, the quintessential spice blend of India, translates to “warm spice mix.” The warm doesn’t necessary mean heat level of the spices but rather the benefits that they provide to the food. When added with other ingredients, these spices not only enhance the taste but also “fire up” the immune system, thus raising the heat in the body and providing holistic benefits from nutrition to digestion.
What’s special about this Garam Masala recipe?
Garam masala with its countless regional variations, remains an elusive blend with no definitive recipe. Not only does it differ across households and cooks, but it also varies based on the type of food it accompanies. From chicken to leafy greens, lamb to hearty vegetables, each blend is curated to enhance flavors and unlock the nutritional benefits of every dish.
That being said, this particular blend works very nicely with all types of food and serves as general purple mix.
Pantry list for homemade Garam Masala
Special Tools to Use
- Spice grinder or mortar pestle
How to make Garam Masala at home
Heat the skillet over medium low heat.
Prepare a plate lined with towel or parchment paper to transfer the toasted spices.
Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, green cardamom pods and broken cinnamon stick.
Slowly toast, while constantly shuffling the spices with a wooden spoon until they become fragrant.
Add whole chili pepper, bay leave, and press them down with the spoon to the bottom of the hot pan for 30 seconds only.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer on the pre-lined plate.
Lastly add the broken down pieces of nutmeg and let them completely cool before grinding.
Place all the spices into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Alternatively you can use the mortal and pestle to crush and mix the spices.
Store the freshly made Garam Masala in a glass jar in a dark pantry or cupboard.
Why it is better to use whole spices
Whole seeds are powerhouses of life, rich in essential compounds that have been utilized in medicine for centuries. By keeping the seeds intact, their essential oils and properties remain encapsulated, providing maximum benefits. However, once the seeds are cracked, they gradually begin to lose these valuable properties.
Another advantage of using whole spices is the cost-effectiveness. By having a small collection of these spices, you have the freedom to create your own blends and prepare flavorful dishes at a fraction of the cost compared to buying prepackaged spices.
Whole spices also have a significantly longer shelf life compared to ground spices.
Toasting the spices reactivates their essential oils and enhances the potency of nutrients, resulting in more aromatic and flavorful dishes.
Ways to use Garam Masala
Garam Masala is typically used as a finishing spice mix. Added at the end of cooking in elevates the food and gives the intoxicating aroma so specific to dishes from the Indian subcontinent.
- Use with Tika Masaal
- Use with Eggplant Bharta
- Use over roasted and cooked vegetables
- Add to sautéed leafy greens
- Use as a seasoning for chicken, lamb and other protein
Tips and wisdom
More Recipes From Cafe Osharak
If you try out this recipe, we would be delighted to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know how it turned out for you. Your feedback is important to us, and we’re always excited to learn if you found the recipe delicious and straightforward to prepare. Additionally, if you have any creative variations or ideas to enhance the recipe, we welcome your suggestions. We appreciate your support and look forward to hearing from you!
Mesmerizing Homemade Garam Masala
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon cumin Seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander Seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2-3 each green cardamom pods
- 1 each cinnamon Stick 1 inch (2 cm)
- 2 each Bay Leaf
- 1 each dried chilies
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg small shavings
Instructions
- Heat the skillet over medium low heat.
- Prepare a plate lined with towel or parchment paper to transfer the toasted spices.
- Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, green cardamom pods and broken cinnamon stick.
- Slowly toast, while constantly shuffling the spices with a wooden spoon until they become fragrant.
- Add whole chili pepper, bay leave and press them down with the spoon to the bottom of the hot pan only for 30 seconds.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer to the pre-lined plate.
- Lastly add the broken down pieces of nutmeg and let them completely cool before grinding.
- Place all the spices into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Alternatively you can use the mortal and pestle.
- Store the freshly made Garam Masala in a glass jar in a dark pantry or cupboard.
Noune – I made this yesterday – came out great. I guess the true test will be how it tastes with my chicken. How long do you recommend I use this for as a rub/marinade on the chicken before roasting?
Thanks in advance!
Thank Chris for trying the recipe. If you are using the garam masala as a dry rub, apply the rub at lease 3-4 hours. Overnight will be even better. Please let me know how it came out.
We did try an overnight rub with it (using a touch of olive oil). It came out amazing. Will definitely use this again and again. Thanks.
I am so glad you made it and it came as you described “amazing”. Thanks for giving us a positive feedback.