How to make Punjabi-style Garam Masala

Garam masala is a spice blend used all over India; its ingredients vary widely by region and individual cook. Punjabi-style garam masala is essential for capturing the Mogul-influenced flavors characteristic of the cuisines of Northern India. Garam masala is added to dishes as they cook, and is sprinkled sparingly over food just before it is served to enhance the aroma. Garam masala is available at Indian and Pakistani groceries, but blending your own from fresh whole spices will put your individual stamp on homemade Punjabi dishes in a way the commercial blends can’t.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spice mill
• Electric coffee grinder
• Cast iron or heavy-duty aluminum frying pan
• Heat-proof bowl
• Gas or electric stove
• Storage jar
• Label
• 1 Tablespoon cardamom seeds (not whole pods)
• 2 teaspoons black cardamom seeds
• 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
• ½ Tablespoon black cumin seeds
• ½ Tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
• ¼ whole nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon whole mace
• 6 whole Turkish bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Put the cardamom seeds, black cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, black cumin seeds, cumin seeds, whole cloves, black pepper corns, whole nutmeg, whole mace, and whole Turkish bay leaves in the frying pan. Do not put the 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder in the pan. The ginger is added in Step 4.

2. Turn the heat element on your stove to medium heat. Roast the whole spices, stirring them and shaking the pan over the heat continuously to avoid burning. Do not leave the roasting spice unattended, they can burn very quickly. After about 2 minutes, the spices will become fragrant and you might hear seeds start to pop. Your spices are roasted and ready to remove from the heat.

3. Remove the frying pan from the heat and immediately pour the hot roasted spices into the heatproof bowl to cool. If you leave them in the pan, the retained heat will singe them and you'll have to start over. Set aside to cool, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes or until they are at room temperature.

4. Grind the toasted spices and the 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder in small batches, no more than 1 tablespoon of spices per batch, in the spice mill or coffee grinder for 30-40 seconds each. The powder should be finely ground and deliciously fragrant.

5. Pour the ground spices into the storage jar, cover with the lid and shake well to make sure the spices are thoroughly blended. Label the jar and date. This recipe makes about three tablespoons of garam masala. Your fragrant, delicious homemade garam masala is best used within three months for optimum flavor. It will keep for six months in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator.

Tips & Warnings

• Whole spices are reasonably priced, and due to rapid turnover, are generally fresh at South Asian groceries. If you don’t have an Indian or Pakistani market near you, try shopping for spices at Penzeys or other online spice merchant
• Keep your garam masala away from heat and sunlight to maintain freshness for up to three months and six months in the refrigerator.
• Spices last longer in the refrigerator, tightly sealed and protected from moisture.
• Be careful handling the spices as they roast. Cast iron pans hold heat longer than aluminum and can cause severe burns. Spices, which are pods, barks and leaves, can pop when exposed to high heat. Consider wearing eye protection while roasting spices.
• When cooking, use garam masala with a light touch to avoid overpowering the other ingredients in the dish.

Resources

• Penzeys Spices
• Spice World Merchants
• Petrina Sarkar’s Cuisine of Northern India

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[Arc4life]

on 11/7/2008 Wow, a great recipe for garam masala- my mother made me a batch of garam masala. It def lasts a long time. Spice mill is a great idea- if you are doing large batches a food processor works great too. 5/5 !