Garam Masala

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.

Kashmir Garam Masala Recipe
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.

Uses And Benefits Of Spices

Spices	Uses	Benefits
Asafoetida (Hing)	It is used for seasoning food especially snacks and has medicinal uses.	A good remedy for whooping cough and stomach ache caused due to gas.
Bay leaf (Tez Patta)	It is used in cooking to add a specific flavour to food. It also has some medicinal properties.	Bay leaf oil possesses antifungal and anti bacterial
Cardamom (Elaichi)	It is used in most of the Indian and other sweet dishes to give a good flavour and smell. It is also used widely in pharmaceutical sector.	Helps to control bad breath and digestive disorder. A whole cardamom chewed is good for coping with diabetes.
Chilli (Lal Mirch)	It is a main ingredient used for adding hot flavour to the food.	The antioxidants present in chilli help to cope with cholesterol. It also helps burning calories
Cinnamon (Dalchini)	It is used for mainly for seasoning food and preparing masalas It has medicinal uses too.	It supports natural production of insulin and reduces blood cholesterol
Clove (Laung)	It is used as a cooking ingredient mainly for seasoning or preparing Masalas.	Clove oil is beneficial for coping with tooth ache and sore gums. It is also beneficial remedy for chest pains, fever, digestive problems, cough and cold.
Coriander (Dhaniya)	Coriander leaves as well as coriander seeds are used in cooking. It also has some medicinal uses.	It can be used externally on aching joints and rheumatism. It is also good for coping with soar throat, allergies, digestion problems, hay fever etc.
Cumin (Zeera)	It is used for cooking and it also possesses medicinal properties.	It is a good source or iron and keeps immune system healthy. Water boiled with cumin seeds is good for coping with dysentery.
Curry leaves(Curry Patta)	It is used as a main ingredient for seasoning in some countries. It has many medicinal uses.	These leaves are beneficial for reducing blood sugar. Each part of the plant provides some benefit or the other. The dried leaves are extensively used in herbal medicines.
Fenugreek (Methi)	It is mainly used as a green leafy vegetableMasalas. It also has medicinal uses. and seeds are used for seasoning and preparing	Fenugreek seed tea or sweet fudge is good for increasing breast milk. It also helpful for treating diabetes and lowering cholesterol
Garlic (Lassan)	It is used for cooking as well as for the medicinal purpose.	It is useful for coping with cough and cold. It also has antibiotic properties.
Ginger (Adrak)	It is used for giving a specific flavour to food and has many medicinal uses.	Helps to avoid digestive problems. It is beneficial for coping with cough and cold.
Mustard (Rye)	It is used for seasoning as well as green leafy vegetable. The use of mustard oil is extensive in India but it is banned in some countries.	Mustard oil is good for body massage and even for getting good hair. It consists of omega-3 fatty acids. It is an excellent source of iron, zinc, manganese, calcium, protein etc.
Nutmeg (Jaiphal)	It is used in powdered form for garnishing and also for masala preparation. It is used in soaps, perfumes and shampoos. It can also be used for medicinal purpose.	It is beneficial for the treatments of asthma, heart disorder and bad breath.
Pepper (Kaali Mirch)	It is extensively used in cooking, especially for garnishing. It is has many medicinal uses too.	It helps coping with cold, cough, infections etc. It helps to deal with muscle pains and digestive problems
Saffron (Zaffran/Kesar)	It is used for cooking as well as in beauty products. It is mainly used in sweet dishes. It has good medicinal properties.	It helps to cope with skin diseases. It is a good remedy for cough, cold and asthma.
Star anise (Chakra Phool)	It is used in cooking and for medicinal purpose	Star anise oil is beneficial for rheumatism. It is helpful for digestion and avoiding bad breath
Turmeric (Haldi)	It is used in cooking and skin care products. It has wide range medicinal uses.	It helps deal with skin problems. Turmeric powder can be used for healing cuts and wounds. It also makes coping with diabetes easier.