'Garam Masala' de -mystified!

The novice cook often gets stumbled there - the rows and rows of ingredients, all to be roasted and powdered to make one curry - who wouldn't feel like tipping those perfectly cut onion and ginger and garlic in the bin and order a take away curry? Honestly, is it worth all the trouble?

While, no denying the fact that a perfectly balanced spice mix or 'garam masala' powder can make or break a curry, there is no need to panic. You can master the art of spice grinding - its as easy as counting one, two, three..

Before going to 'what constitutes 'garam masala', lets talk about whats 'garam masala'? 'Garam' in Hindi is hot and 'masala' is a term generally used to refer to spice mix. So its hot spice mix! How simple!

Well, as to what goes into the 'masala' is not that easy. Each home has got its own closely guarded recipes for 'garam masalas'. While claiming that battles have been fought between the 'Patel's and 'Shah's for that elusive garam masala recipe will be an over statement, it is true that 'the perfect blend' is every Indian housewive's pride and joy.

For those of us, who have left homes and mothers to foreign countries, 'home-made-garam-masala' is a nostalgia. But, we still make do, life has to 'curry own' after all. So, how do we, (read full time working, mother to a toddler or two Indians) make garam masala? Well, I don't know about others, but here is my method and it works pretty well.


I take equal quantities of Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Fennel, Poppy seeds and a leaf or two of bay leaves. Heat a non stick pan very gently and dry roast the spices. After a minute or two, you will start to have a gentle aroma of the spices rising on the air. That is when the spices start to release their oil. At this stage, switch off and blitz the roasted spices in your coffee grinder. Fresh, aromatic and potent garam masala is ready! You wont have to use more than 1 teaspoon of this powder for a kilo of meat, so there will be plenty left around, which you can keep for three months or so in an airtight container.

Apart from sprinkling it in curries towards the end of cooking for that 'tonguelicious' flavour, try sprinkling a bit on your stir-Fry's or home made burgers, even on omelette's and taste the difference!

Well, what ever you do, use it sparingly as the home made 'garam masala' is much more strong and superior in quality than the store bought ones!

Now, tell me, how difficult that can be??