How to make garam masala powder

Garam Masala Powder is the blend of different spices that bring magical taste to your cooking. The word “garam” means “hot” as these spices generates heat in your body and masala means “mix of spices”.  It has been used for centuries in India and the rest of the Indian subcontinent.

This aromatic mixture should be used in small quantity as it is very piquant but not hot as chili powder. Most of the time powdered garam masala is used at the end of the cooking. Sometimes whole garam masala is fried in the oil to release its flavor before adding other wet ingredients like onion, ginger and garlic paste, meat and so on.

Many different kind of garam masala recipes are there depending upon the region and personal taste. But most of the garam masala recipe contain some common ingredients like peppercorns, cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, etc.
You can get it from Indian grocery store but freshly homemade garam masala is always best because it is made from fresh ingredients and makes the curry truly succulent. Even you can store it for several months. Ensure that it is stored in an airtight container in cool, darker place otherwise it will loose its aroma.

 Ingredients:

• Cumin seeds: 1 cup
• Coriander seeds: 1/2 cup
• Green cardamoms: 3/4 cup
• Black cardamom: 3
• Cinnamon sticks: 7-8 sticks
• Cloves: 1/3 cup
• Black peppercorns: 1/3 cup
• Nutmeg: 2
• Mace: 1/2 cup
• Bay leaves: 20

Method:

• Heat a tawa on medium flame. Dry roast all the ingredients together until aroma from spices come out.
• Cool slighly. Grind them all together to make a fine powder.
• Store it in an airtight container in a dry and cool place.