Garam Masala

By mm_food4me

Garam masala is best made fresh just before you begin cooking, but if you haven’t got the patience (like me!), make a batch ahead and store for several months in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsps coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsps black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
• 1 1/2 tsps dry ginger
• 3/4 tsp black cardamom (3-4 large pods approx)
• 3/4 tsp cloves
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon (2 X 1” pieces)
• 3/4 tsp crushed bay leaves

Details

Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 14mins
Adapted from about.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients (leave cardamom in its pods till later) except the dry ginger, till they turn a few shades darker. Stir occasionally. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
When the spices are roasted turn of the flame and allow them to cool.
Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them back with all the other roasted spices.
Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.