How To Make Garam Masala

I belatedly realized that I’ve been posting a few recipes that include garam masala, and that many of you might not know what that actually is.

Garam masala means “warming spice mix.” It can be a mixture of whole or ground spices, and the recipes that it can be used in are numerous, but they are all aromatic, rather than “hot” mixes.

You can buy garam masala HERE. Or you can make it with the recipe below.

You will need:

• 8 cardamom pods (buy here)
• 2 cassia leaves (Indian bay leaves)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns (buy here)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds (buy here)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds (buy here)
• 5 cm (2 in) cinnamon stick (buy here)
• 1 tsp cloves (buy here)

First, remove the seeds from the cardamom pods. Break the cassia leaves into small pieces. Put them in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar with the remaining spices and grind to a fine powder. Alternately, you can toast the spices in a dry skillet until aromatic and then blend them. Store in a small airtight container until needed.

MAKES ABOUT 3 TABLESPOONS.