Garam Masala
A warm, aromatic North Indian spice blend, added late in cooking for fragrance rather than raw heat.
Condiment
Vegan
How this varies: Garam masala is genuinely household-specific — Bengali versions often skip cumin and coriander entirely in favor of just cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves (sometimes called garam mosla), while some Maharashtrian blends add stone flower (dagad phool) or star anise; there's no single "correct" ratio, but a cumin/coriander-heavy blend that outweighs the actual warming spices is the common bulk-filler shortcut worth avoiding.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp green cardamom pods
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 2 tbsp cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks (or cassia), broken up
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 blade mace (javitri), or 1/2 tsp extra grated nutmeg if unavailable
- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 2 bay leaves (tej patta)
Steps
- Toast cardamom pods (green and black), cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin, mace, and bay leaves in a dry pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the pods puff slightly, about 3-4 minutes — don't let anything scorch, or the blend turns bitter.
- Let cool completely before grinding (grinding hot spices causes clumping from released oils).
- Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- Stir in grated nutmeg.
- Store in an airtight jar away from light and heat for up to 3 months; add near the end of cooking, or bloom briefly in hot ghee, for the brightest aroma.