Home Made Garam Masala

Nothing beats home made spices. The smell of the roasting seeds is amazing. If you can’t obtain the seeds, you can substitute with the powders, but I highly recommend this method. I substituted the cardamon with powdered garlic because I had none. Here’s my process.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp whole cumin
• 1 tbsp whole coriander seed
• 1 tbsp whole garlic powder
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorn
• 1/2 whole cloves
• 1/2 freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon

1. In a dry pan add all the whole spices and on low heat, gently toast the seeds. Add the grated nutmeg, as well. Stir occasionally and watch carefully. You don’t want them to burn. You will know it’s roasting as you can begin to smell the aroma and color of the seeds darken a bit. It will take about 10 or so.

2. Next, add the cinnamon and garlic powders and lightly roast. Once they’re toasted, remove from heat and let cool.

3. Using an electric grinder, add all the seeds and and finely grind. It might need to be done in batches depending on the size of the grinder. I add the cinnamon last to mix it all together.

Store in an air tight container. It should last for a few months if you keep it in a cool dry place. I hope you give this a try if you have a grinder. It is the best, especially when you are making homemade curries or any dish that call for garam masala. If you don’t have and electric grinder, you can grind by hand using a pestle and mortar, but I think grinding it into a fine product works best. I hope you give this a try. Thank you for your time and Buen Provecho!