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5.0 from 12 votes

Garam Masala

A well balanced, richly flavorful spice blend that's truly a queen of spices and perfect for Indian recipes! It's one of the easiest ways to build up and infuse an abundance of flavor in a dish, and when you make it from scratch you'll never want to use store-bought again.See notes for pre-ground spices measurements and method.

Servings: 7 Tbsp (approx.)
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 Tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 Tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 Tbsp black peppercorn
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 tsp green cardamom seeds*
  • 2 (2-inch each) cinnamon sticks, roughly broken with a meat mallet
  • 4 bay leaves, roughly broken
  • 1/2 piece of a whole nutmeg, roughly broken with a meat mallet
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or 1 dried red chili pepper stem removed, roughly broken (optional for spicy heat)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add spices to skillet and saute 1 - 2 minutes until toasted and fragrant.
  3. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
  4. Pour spices into a spice grinder. Work in two batches adding half at a time if your grinder is small.
  5. Pulse until finely ground. Stop and stir mixture or shake grinder occasionally to ensure even grinding.
  6. Store in an airtight container. Preferably use within 6 months.

Notes

  • *To remove seeds from the pod/husk just smash with the flat side of a bigger knife - similar to smashing a garlic clove to remove the skin. The seeds should fall out easily upon smashing.
  • You can also add 1 star anise to the recipe if you can find them. They're just a little harder to come by.
  • 2 Tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground fennel seed (or whole fennel seeds that have been finely crushed with a meat mallet)
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)