Note: Original post published in Oct 2017 has been updated with new photos and a video. Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry
Writing It Down
If you’ve cooked with your family, you’re probably familiar with having recipes passed down by word of mouth or by watching and learning. That’s why it was so important for me to finally document this recipe in detail for my children, extended family…and future generations!
Heirloom Recipe
Every family has its own version of garam masala. With anywhere from 5 to 25 warming spices included, it’s easy to imagine how many variations of garam masala there can be! In many Maharashtrian families, this kind of masala is also referred to as ‘Goda masala’ which typically also has coconut in it. My mom uses this garam masala to make delicious Indian dishes like chicken curry, stuffed eggplant, or black-eyed peas curry, just to name a few!
A Family Project
In the summer of 2017 when my Mom visited me, I asked her to bring all of the whole spices that she uses to make her garam masala. She was thrilled to bring them, together we had a great time exploring and comprehending each spice. These were also some of the most treasured moments for the mother-daughter duo, recollecting family anecdotes from generations past. My mom slow-roasted each individual spice in a small pan, with a little bit of oil. Roasting helps get rid of any moisture in the spices making them easier to grind. As she continued to roast, a nostalgic warm-earthy-sweet-peppery aroma filled my kitchen! It transported me back in time, not only to my childhood home but also to my grandma’s kitchen where we were lucky to spend so much time cooking together.
Building Up Slowly
If you’re just starting out with building your spice collection or making spice blends at home–I’ve got you. My simple 5-ingredient Garam Masala is the perfect place to start. Use this simplified recipe for everything from traditional curries to modern dishes like masala chicken burgers, spicy mac and cheese, masala fries, and crisp air-fried okra.
List of the spices
With my mom’s help, I was able to map the Marathi spice names to the English ones; with the hope of passing this down as one of the legacies for my children and my extended family.
Preparing and Roasting Whole Spices
Using a mortar and pestle break the whole turmeric, whole asafetida, and whole nutmeg into smaller pieces, one at a time. Set these three spices aside. Remove the stems of the red chilies. Heat a few drops of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or a skillet. Add the red chilies and dry roast them on medium-low heat for 2 to 5 minutes stirring frequently as they get aromatic. Take out the roasted chilies in a large bowl (photos 1 - 4)
Next, add the coriander seeds to the pan and roast until they get aromatic making sure not to brown them. Take out the coriander seeds and lay on top of the roasted chilies. Repeat the roasting process with turmeric, asafetida, and nutmeg, adding a few drops of oil to the pan before toasting each spice (photos 5 - 8)
The next spices to toast are broken cinnamon sticks, cloves, black cumin seeds, cumin seeds, and the 2 types of cardamom. As you can see, you can mix in a couple of spices for toasting like I did with cumin seeds and cardamom. For each spice make sure that they are roasted until aromatic and hot to the touch (photos 9 - 12)
Next toast the stone flower, fennel seeds, mace (break if whole by gently pressing with the wooden spatula) and whole black pepper (photos 13 - 16)
Toast the last 4 spices - star anise, bay leaves, fenugreek seeds, and poppy seeds (photos 17 - 20)
Once all the spices are roasted, spread them on a large baking tray and allow them to completely cool down.
Grinding Spices
Grind the roasted spices in a spice grinder or a coffee grinder in batches to make a fine powder. Sift the ground spice powder and return any remaining coarse spices back to the spice grinder. Repeat the above step for the remaining roasted spices. Depending on the spice grinder you have, you may end up with more coarse powder. Traditionally this spice blend is finely ground but you can also use the coarse spice blend in your cooking (photos 21 - 24)
Storing
Store the sifted garam masala in an airtight container or a glass jar in a dry place away from direct sunlight. You can also refrigerate or freeze the garam masala for longer freshness.
What do I use garam masala for?
Now that you have seen how to make this flavorful Indian spice blend, let’s see how to use it! We love adding homemade garam masala to curries, rice dishes, and to lentils and beans like rajma, black-eyed peas, or brown lentils. Notes: Since this recipe also includes red chilies you may not need to add extra chili powder. Remember that this garam masala is flavorful but not overly hot! So add more green chilies or red chili powder to your taste.
Substitutes and Variations
A little bit of oil is often used to roast the spices which help them bloom and release aromas. But adding oil is optional and you may skip it altogether. I like to use the red dried Kashmiri chilies in this recipe which yields a vibrant red color without adding too much heat. You can also substitute with spicer dry red chilies instead. If you do not have whole dried turmeric, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground turmeric to the garam masala. In India, these roasted spices are taken to professional pounding machines known as Kandap Yantra. Getting that fine powdery texture at home takes a bit of patience. You may end up running the spices through the grinder a few times to get that fine texture of ground spices. However, it is completely ok to have your spice powder a bit coarser.
More Homemade Spice Blends
If you enjoy home cooking, you have to try making homemade spice blends that will elevate the flavors of any dish you make. You will be blown away by the taste as well as the quality if you compare them to store-bought spices. From my easy 5-ingredient garam masala to the homemade chana masala recipe, learn more about different spices and spice mixes in this cooking 101 guide. ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
Recipe
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