Garam Masala.

I love spice blends. In addition to adding amazing flavor layers to foods, most spices have medicinal properties and support healthy digestion, immune support, healthy gut microbiome, and other benefits. Most cultures on the planet have some kind of common cultural flavorings, spices, and family recipes passed down generation to generation. I spent many years living in Chicago where there is rich cultural diversity and people from all over the planet bringing their food cultures and traditions with them. In Chicago, whole neighborhoods have formed over the last century, with shops and restaurants spilling out amazing aromas into the street. I spent many weekends wandering small neighborhood grocers, scanning the shelves for those treasured spices for weekend meals. While the prevalence of exotic spices often stemmed from the colonization of countries by Europeans, there is also a lot of proud food culture brought with immigration, spreading the amazing flavors, spices, blends, and ingredients as people bring their traditions with them. While I prefer to grow as much of my own herbs and spices as I can, I still love hunting down those rich and deep flavors such as green and black cardamom, turmeric, ginger, cocoa, coffee, smoked paprika and cumin, peppercorns, cassia, nutmeg, and other amazing flavors. 

Garam Masala

Print |

{lunar hollow farm}

Garam Masala is a blend of spices often found in Indian and South Asian cuisines. Each region has their own blend, but the basics are fairly similar. This is a flavorful blend made with spices that can be found in most grocers or spice shops. Everything is listed by tablespoon and teaspoon because it doesn’t have to be exact. Use this as a guide! Garam masala is so good in rice dishes; added to soups and stews, and sprinkled over anything you roast in the oven.

{ingredients}

• 3 Tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 ½ Tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 Tbsp sweet cinnamon chips (or a soft woody cinnamon stick)

• 2 tsp cloves

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 tsp cardamom pods (green)

• ½ tsp peppercorn (I like a variety of peppercorn types)

• 1 tsp dried ginger

• ½ of a nutmeg

• Optional: 1-2 juniper berries

Toast all of the spices together on a medium-high skillet, gently, stirring. Be sure not to burn but just toast to release the aroma. Once the spices are warm and toasted, pour them into your spice blender and whiz until you have a powder. Store in an airtight container!

Published October 23, 2022