Blending Your Own Garam Masala
Garam masala is a fragrant, toasted spice blend used as a finishing touch rather than a base. By choosing whole spices, lightly toasting them in a dry pan until their oils release, and grinding them fresh, you ensure the blend retains the bright, aromatic punch that pre-ground store versions lose within weeks of packaging.
Freshness is the only requirement
If your whole spices have been sitting in the pantry for over a year, toss them. The heat of the pan will tell you everything you need to know about the quality of your ingredients.
- Heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless steel skillet
- Spice grinder or mortar and pestle
- Airtight glass jar
What goes in.
- 3 tbspcoriander seeds
- 1 tbspcumin seeds
- 1 tbspgreen cardamom pods, husked
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
- 1 tspwhole cloves
- 1 stickcinnamon, broken into pieces
- 1/2 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
Watching for the fragrance shift
Keep the heat low and move the spices constantly. The moment you smell a deep, earthy aroma and see the coriander seeds turn two shades darker, remove the pan from the heat immediately to stop the cooking.
The method.
Heat the pan
Place the skillet over medium-low heat. Do not add oil.
Toast the spices
Add the coriander, cumin, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. Shake the pan frequently for 3 to 5 minutes until the spices are aromatic and slightly toasted.
Cool completely
Pour the spices onto a plate immediately so they don't continue to cook against the hot metal. Let them reach room temperature.
Grind
Add the cooled spices and the grated nutmeg to your grinder. Process until you have a fine powder. If using a mortar and pestle, grind in batches for a more textured result.
Store
Transfer to a clean, dry glass jar. Seal tightly and keep in a dark cupboard.
Other turns to take.
Kashmiri-style
Add a teaspoon of dried red chili flakes during the toasting process for a sharper heat profile.
Citrus-forward
Add a strip of dried orange peel to the grinder to bring a bright, sharp note to the blend.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always husk your cardamom pods; the green shells are fibrous and don't grind down well, which leaves a gritty texture.
Grind only as much as you think you will use within three months; after that, the essential oils evaporate and the flavor dulls.
If the blend tastes flat, you didn't toast the spices long enough. If it tastes bitter, the spices caught in the pan and burned.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I add salt to this?
Keep the spice blend pure. Add salt separately when you are actually cooking the dish so you can control the seasoning level.
Should I add the nutmeg before or after grinding?
Grate it fresh right before grinding. If you put a whole, hard nutmeg nut into a standard spice grinder, it may break the blade.
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