Easy Garam Masala: Make it Fresh, at Home

Make Fresh Garam Masala – simple prep, extraordinary flavor. 

It is so easy to make this well-known spice mix….. Yeah, the one that gives so many Indian dishes their characteristic flavors and aromas!  But wait, isn’t that actually available, pre-made? So why even bother making it at home?

Hmm…. Think about it for a moment…. A store-bought spice-mix: made who knows when…. and sitting on the shelf for who knows how long…. And I’m sure you’re aware that spices tend to lose their flavor over time.

So….. Can the store-bought mix really even begin to compare with what you could whip up fresh ?

Freshly ground spices: stronger flavor & aroma

I’m sure you are aware that freshly ground spices have more intense flavors and aromas. Think about the common black pepper: someone holds a pepper mill directly over your pasta or soup… with every turn, the freshly ground pepper rains down directly on your food. You inhale…. and Mmmm…. your mouth starts to water… as the amazing aroma hits you!

Well…. What if that is not an option? You pick up the pepper shaker at your table, and sprinkle some already ground pepper over your food….. Hmm…. Not quite the same, is it?

Do you know why, though? It’s because most of the flavor and aroma substances stored inside the whole spices are quite volatile (i.e., they evaporate rather easily). When the spices are crushed or ground, these aromatic substances are released from the cells that hold them tightly inside the spice. Exposed to air by the grinding, they quickly evaporate and travel through the air…. to your nose…. Aha! That’s how the aroma hits you almost instantly.

But what happens when you store the already ground spice in a jar, at room temperature? These aromatic and flavorful substances slowly start to evaporate…. and literally…. vanish into thin air!

Old spices…. not much flavor

As the ground spices in your jars become ‘old’, they might still look the same….. but as for flavor…. Nah! Also, if you store them like pepper, in a shaker with small holes in it, open to air…. you can see why the flavor loss would be rather rapid!

So you decide to compensate and just add more ….. You know what, though… this extra amount you add can also leave an unappealing off-flavor. Perhaps that might happen due to some of the essential oils in the spices turning rancid over time.

Whole spices retain flavor quite well

What about whole spices, though? These typically retain flavor much better than ground spices…. even at room temperature. How come? Grinding releases the flavor and aroma substances from the cells in which they are packed tightly…. Once released, these substances quickly “fly” (evaporate) away!

That said, I fess up… I do stock some store-bought Garam Masala in my freezer too, just as back-up…. to have on hand if I’m in a tearing hurry and am out of my home-made one.

Freezer-stored spices retain flavor longer

Freezer-stored spices – particularly in the ground/powdered form – retain flavor much longer than if stored at room temperature in your pantry.

But Hey…. Freezer space can get pretty tight, sometimes, right? My solution is very simple…. Small batches! Just make small quantities of ground spice mixtures, then store them in small jars in the freezer. I like to use glass jars (v. plastic), because glass is very inert, and typically does not react with the spices.

Where to get the Garam Masala spices?

Where to get the Garam Masala spices? Try your pantry first….. You might actually already have several items on the spice-list.

If you don’t, though, just plan a quick trip to the grocery store. In India, most dry grocers carry a plethora of spices. In the US (and other places outside India), you should be able to get everything you need at Indian grocery stores and/or other international markets. The prices there will almost certainly be far better than the same items at the local ‘American’ supermarkets. And Yeah…. You can always try to order them online…. the prices might not be the best, of course!

Also… If you just can’t seem to find one or two of the spices on the list, it’s OK. Just use what you do have. Your Garam Masala powder will still be wonderful…. Still way better than the store-bought mix that’s probably been sitting on the grocery store shelf for a while!

Shah Jeera: do not confuse this spice with Caraway or Nigella

A special word of caution when you’re looking for Shah Jeera: Bunium persicum, also called Shahi Jeera: there are so many similar names for THREE distinctly different spices. Add to that the confusion created and propagated via numerous erroneous posts I have seen online….. And you have a sure-shot recipe for a headache!

So….. If you’re not already familiar with these three spices, Shah Jeera, Caraway (Carum carvi) and Nigella (Nigella sativa), please do see my detailed clarification in Recipe Notes. Here’s a picture of the three spices side-by-side: the Shah Jeera is on the left. See how thin and delicate it looks, compared with the spices on the right: the caraway is on top right and the jet black Nigella is on the bottom right.

When purchasing Shah Jeera, take care that you do NOT inadvertently get Caraway or Nigella – these are NOT to be used in Garam Masala – their flavor profiles are completely different from Shah Jeera! If you mistakenly use either one instead of Shah Jeera, your Garam Masala will most certainly have a strange flavor!

How to make Garam Masala at home?

So… How to make fresh Garam Masala at home? It’s super easy, if you have all the ingredients stocked in your pantry.

Collect all the ingredients listed, measure them out into a bowl, and pulse-grind in a blender/spice grinder… a coffee grinder works beautifully, so long as it’s clean and doesn’t impart residual coffee flavor!

But wait… What if you don’t have an electric spice grinder? Hmmm…. You can always do it the old-fashioned way…. with a mortar and pestle and a pretty intense arm-workout! See the pics I’ve added in Recipe Notes for 2 kinds of mortar and pestles. Or you could use a manual spice mill – similar to a pepper mill you might use to crush/grind black peppercorns.

Why pulse-grind? With continuous grinding for more than 20 seconds or so, your grinder blades might start getting hot! Hmm….. Isn’t that precisely what you don’t want happening if you want to preserve the spice flavors? So…. grind for 5-10 seconds, stop for 15-20 seconds and repeat…. till you get an evenly ground, slightly coarse powder.

That’s it! All done!

How to store Garam Masala to preserve freshness?

How to store this wonderfully aromatic Garam Masala? Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid… preferably glass, rather than plastic…. And Freeze….the sooner the better!

Why? Like I said before, many of the substances in the spices that give it flavor and aroma are quite volatile… So, if you store it at room temp, even in a tightly lidded jar, the flavor dissipates fairly quickly…. plus, some of these substances might turn rancid too… Ugghh!. Cooling slows down both of these processes quite a bit, helping to preserve freshness for a long time.

Since I don’t use this spice mix on a daily basis, I like to keep my home-made Garam Masala jar in the freezer. When I need some, I take out what I need and put it back in the freezer right away. The flavor holds for months!

Health benefits of Garam Masala

Does Garam Masala have any health benefits? You might wonder why so many of the spices used in Garam Masala are so commonly used in Indian food.

Ayurveda (and general common sense, of course!) recommends consuming foods that are beneficial to human health. Commonly consumed staple foods, such as grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, provide most of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) that sustain us. In addition, they also provide various micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) that further support health and well-being.

Spices, though, used mainly to add enticing flavor and aroma to various dishes made with the staples, don’t really provide macronutrients…. But boy, do they provide micronutrients… in spades! Yes, I do realize that might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s true, nonetheless!

The very spices that add flavor and aroma, also release a plethora of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, etc., into your food… And when combined into a spice mixture, the individual spices complement each other rather nicely!

Describing the specific contributions of each spice in detail would make this blog post way too long! So here are just a few glimpses… Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, for instance, have well-known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunity-boosting properties. Cloves, along with Dagadphool (stone flower) and several other spices are also anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and promote digestion.

Hmmm… I better stop! I could go on and on… Let’s just say that adding even just a little bit of Garam Masala to your food is a great idea. Not only does your food taste delicious, it also supports your well-being in all sorts of ways! Is that amazing, or what?!

Special Focus: Eugenol… from Cloves and other spices/Herbs

I’d like to draw particular attention to a very interesting substance, Eugenol, distributed widely in nature, particularly in several spices and herbs.

Found in cloves in very high concentrations, it has powerful analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Perhaps you have even encountered clove oil at the dentist’s office…. it’s a well-known short-term remedy for tooth pain.

Rather interestingly, though, Eugenol is also found in nutmeg, cinnamon leaf, bay leaf, basil leaf (especially Sweet Basil and Holy Basil – Tulsi )… and, in smaller amounts, in coffee, peaches, plums, raspberries, bananas and Yess… even red wine! Who knew?!

A fun memory from my grad school days that i want to share….. When I first tasted my friend’s fresh basil pesto, I asked her if she had added cloves to it. She was rather perplexed and said No… But then, being grad students doing research in organic chemistry, we dug for information…. and soon discovered that cloves and basil both contain Eugenol!

But why? Why do plants even produce such chemicals in the first place? Very simple answer: Self-defense and survival! Yup! Eugenol, for instance, protects the plants from insects, bacteria, fungi, etc. And when you ingest it through your food, guess what happens?

Use Garam Masala in fun and interesting ways….

Need some ideas for using your freshly made Garam Masala?

Here are a few interesting recipes you might want to try… Some are super easy, some a bit more elaborate…

• Vegetarian Lentil Kababs – cook in the Air fryer, oven or griddle
• Pindi Channa – popular delight, eat with Bhatura, Naan, Puri, etc.
• Quick Tomato Pulao – make it with leftover rice
• Tangy Tomato Chutney – so yummy, enjoy with your favorite savory snacks
• and more…..

And…. Just in case you’d like to check out my basil pesto recipe…. and see for yourself if you can detect a hint of clove-like flavor in it…

• Fresh Basil Pesto – just so you know…. it’s a tad spicy from the spicy green chili pepper (Serrano) pepper

There are several more recipes on this blog that are enhanced by just a teeny bit of Garam Masala. Make them, share them…. And please do leave a review and star rating. Many thanks!

Special diets

This fast-fix Garam Masala recipe is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and sesame-free. It also does not have onion-garlic, in case you prefer to avoid these ingredients.

So… Make a little time in your busy schedule to make a small batch (or a bigger one if you like!) of this spice mixture…. If you have all the ingredients stocked in your pantry, it takes literally 3-4 min, tops!

Store in the freezer, and pull out your flavorful stash when you need it… Give an extra Oomph to whatever dish you’re making that calls for Garam Masala. Be sure to it use sparingly… it’s pretty potent!

Make it….use it…. and bask in the glowing compliments from friends and family… Only you know the secret ingredient – your supremely aromatic and flavorful home-made Garam Masala!

Please do leave a review and star rating…… My heartfelt thanks!

Enjoy!