Home made garam masala is very much aromatic and small amount is sufficient to cook spicy curries. I use 14 different spices to prepare garam masala powder. For the given quantity of ingredients, you will get approximately one cup of garam masala powder.
Ingredients
Bay leaf – 2 no
Black cardamom – 12 no
Black pepper – 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon stick two inch long: 2 no
Cloves – 12 no
Coriander seeds – 1 heaped tablespoon
Cumin seeds – 1 tablespoon
Fennel seeds – 1 heaped tablespoon
Green cardamom – 6 no
Mace small piece – 4 no
Marati moggu (English name not known) – 4 no
Nut mug – ⅛ th of a whole piece
Star anise – 3 no
Poppy seeds – 1 heaped teaspoon
Method
Roast all the ingredients in a dry pan, in a moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes; when you smell nice aroma of these spices, remove and cool (do not over roast the spices).
Now peel the black and green cardamom.
Add only the seeds with other spices and grind it in a mixer-grinder to a coarse powder
Store it in a air tight container to keep fresh.
Store it in a air tight container to keep fresh.
Kashmiri Garam Masala is similar to Punjabi Sabut Garam Masala with added Fennel seeds, and Black Cumin seeds (Shahi Jeera)
Ingredients
1. Fennel Seeds: 1 Tablespoon
For purist: Fennel Seed ½ Tablespoon, and Aniseed ½ Tablespoon
2. Shahi Jeera (Black Cumin Seeds): 2 Tablespoons
3. Mace: 3 leafs
4. Green Cardamom seeds: 2 Tablespoon
For purist: Black Cardamom seeds 3 Tablespoon, and Green Cardamom seeds ½ Tablespoon
Use Green Cardamoms for stronger aroma over the Black Cardamoms.
5. Cinnamon sticks 3"x¼" size: 3 Sticks Use 'Cassia' bark if available for stronger aroma.
6. Whole cloves: 1 Tablespoons
7. Nutmeg: ¼ of an average size nutmeg
8. Cumin seeds: 1½ Tablespoon
9. Black Peppercorns: 2 Tablespoon
Use Tellicherry pepper for best flavor.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 220º F, lay loosely the ingredients in a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Alternately dry roast ingredients on a hot dry griddle.
2. Grind by pounding with a Mortar and Pestle. Alternately, use a conical Burr Coffee grinder to get the desired coarseness.
