How to make garam masala at home?
Homemade garam masala is an aromatic spice blend combining fragrant whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, etc. This DIY mixture imparts a warm and complex flavour to your Indian dishes. The spices are dry-roasted to intensify their aroma and then ground to create a fine garam masala powder.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cardamom
- 1 tbsp cloves
- 1 tbsp Ceylon cinnamon approximately 4 to 5, 1 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp fennel
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 maces (Javithri)
- 4- star anise
- 1 dried kashmiri chilly or dried red chilly optional
- 3 bay leaves (Tej patta)
- ½ tsp nutmeg powder
Instructions
- Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds and dry roast them, stirring frequently, until they become fragrant. This usually takes less than a minute. Be cautious not to burn them.
- Remove from the pan and let them cool to room temperature.
- In the same pan, add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and repeat the same process.
- Once roasted transfer them to a plate and let them cool to room temperature.
- In the same pan, add pepper, cumin, fennel, black cardamom, mace, star anise, dried kashmiri chillies, bay leaves and nutmeg. If you are using ground nutmeg, there is no need to add at this stage.
- Adding Kashmiri chilly is purely optional as it is added for some extra heat.
- Dry roast them and transfer them to a plate to cool.
- Once cooled, add them to a blender and grind to a fine powder. Don´t over-grind them as this can affect the flavour and taste of garam masala.
Notes
The ratio of the ingredients, roasting temperature and grinding are equally important to get a good flavour of the masala.
Be cautious not to burn the spices during roasting, as it can adversely impact the flavour. Optimal roasting brings out the aromatic oils without crossing into bitterness. Equally important, avoid over-grinding, as it can alter the texture and taste. A delicate balance in roasting and grinding ensures your garam masala retains its rich, authentic flavour.
Allow the roasted spices to cool completely before placing them in the jar. This helps preserve the flavours and prevents condensation inside the jar. Make sure to use a dry jar to blend the spices.
Try to use a clean, dry glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to store the garam masala powder.