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Nothing beats the smell and taste of your homemade spice mix! Bringing you another amazing masala mix called garam masala. It is the most popular and the most important blend of sweet and savory spices, originating from south Asia. Garam means ‘warm’ and masala means ‘spice’.
This warming spice mix is made by toasting and then grinding the whole spices together. The freshly roasted and ground mixture smells and tastes super amazing. It is incredibly flavorful and adds an earthy favour and a warm kick to the dishes.
It’s very convenient to buy readymade spice mix but we never know what’s exactly inside it. That’s why I prefer making my masalas at home without any additives or artificial colors. It is not only fresh but aromatic too and you can control the quality of ingredients.
Make your own homemade garam masala with this easy and simple step-by-step recipe. It is super easy to make in less than half an hour. You can make this masala powder ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for later use. Once you’ve made this recipe, I am sure you’ll never buy ready-made spice mix again.
A combination of flavorful ingredients you’ll need to make garam masala
Variation and Substitutes
- If you don’t have a spice grinder, you can make it the traditional way with mortar and pestle.
- You can also use powdered spices instead of whole spices. However, I prefer using whole spices for best results.
- This masala is warming, but not hot. However, if you like some heat, you can add some dried red chilies.
- The quantity of spices can easily be increased or decreased to make your own custom blend. It’s okay if you’re missing a spice or two.
- Some people also add fennel seeds to their masala, but I don’t like its taste in my masala, so I just skipped it.
- If you don’t have ginger powder, you can also use whole dried ginger (sonth).
Simple steps to make your own garam masala
Step 1:
Dry roast all the whole spices on low heat until they become fragrant and get a slightly dark color, stirring and shaking the skillet constantly so that they roast evenly.
Step 2:
Remove from the heat and let them cool down completely.
Step 3:
In a spice grinder, add all the toasted spices along with the ginger powder and grind to a fine powder.
How do I use garam masala?
- Garam masala is the most popular spice mix of Pakistani/Indian recipes. It is used in vegetarian or non-vegetarian curries, stews, biryani, pulao, or in marinades.
- Adding a pinch of this masala at the end of the cooking elevates the taste of any dish.
- You can also use this masala in your black tea to give it a wonderful aroma.
Bonus Tip: Put it in a glass jar, and it decorate with a pretty ribbon, and it is such an amazing homemade gift.
How to store this masala?
- Label and store the masala in an airtight jar or bottle for later use. Keep it in a cool and dry place for up to 6 months.
- Make sure to use clean and dry spoon to take the required amount of spice powder from the jar to avoid contaminating the inside of the jar with unwanted bacteria.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- For best results, use fresh and good-quality spices.
- Make sure to toast the spices on low heat to get a distinct flavor.
- Break the nutmeg into smaller pieces before toasting it.
- Grind the spices at once or in a batch if your grinder has a low capacity.
- Sieve the masala through a strainer if any course particles are left behind.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe to make a larger batch.
Video Tutorial
You will also like these spice blends!
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Recipe
Ingredients
- Cumin Seeds – 3 tablespoons
- Caraway Seeds or Kala Zeera – 1 tablespoon
- Coriander Seeds – 2 tablespoons
- Cloves – 1 tablespoon
- Black Peppercorns – 1 tablespoon
- Green Cardamoms – 15
- Black Cardamoms – 6 to 7
- Mace or Javitri – 3
- Nutmeg or Jaifal – 1
- Star Anise – 3 to 4
- Cinnamon Sticks – 7 to 8
- Bay Leaves – 6 to 7
- Ginger Powder – 1 tablespoon
Instructions
Step by step recipe is given below:
- In a skillet, dry roast the cumin seeds, kala zeera, coriander seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, javitri, jaifal, star anise, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves on low heat until they become fragrant and get slightly dark color, stirring and shaking the skillet constantly so that they roast evenly.
- Remove from the heat and let them cool down completely.
- In a spice grinder, add all the toasted spices along with the ginger powder and grind to a fine powder.
- Your homemade garam masala is ready to use.
- Transfer it to an air tight jar or bottle. Label and store in cool and dry place for later use.
Enjoy! And Remember ‘COOKING IS EASY’!
Notes
- For best results, use fresh and good-quality spices.
- You can also use powdered spices instead of whole spices. However, I prefer using whole spices for best results.
- Sieve the masala through a strainer if any course particles are left behind.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe to make a larger batch.
