Measure out all the spices into a bowl and pulse grind in a spice grinder/coffee grinder to a slightly coarse powder. Do not allow the grinder blades to become hot. Store in a small jar (preferably glass) with a well-fitting lid and store in the freezer to preserve freshness. Use sparingly in your favorite dishes that call for Garam Masala. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Electric Spice grinder / Coffee Grinder If not available, use mortar and pestle or manual spice-mill (similar to a pepper mill for grinding/crushing black pepper)
Ingredients
Yield: 1/4 cup Garam Masala Powder(Kacchhaa Masala - not roasted)
- 14-15 pieces Black Cardamon (less if they’re really big ! ) Badi Elaichi
- 10-12 pieces Whole Green cardamom Chhoti Elaichi, Velchi, Veldoda
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon sticks - broken into small pieces Dalchini
- 3 whole Star anise (or equivalent broken pieces) Badaiyun
- 12-15 pieces Cloves
- 20 whole Black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 tsp CumIn seeds
- 3/4 tsp ShahJeera Bunium persicum: it's NOT the same as Caraway (Carum carvi) or Nigella sativum; See Recipe Notes for details
- 4-5 whole Bay leaves broken to pieces
- 2 tbsp Dagadphool - broken up into small pieces also called Pattharphool, Stone flower,Lichen
- 3/4 tsp Mace pieces - broken up) If using mace powder - use only 1/4 tsp ; if not available, use 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Collect all the spicesNOTE:Please see Recipe Notes for correctly identifying ShahJeera and not confusing it with Caraway or Nigella
- Puls-Grind in an electric spice-grinder or coffee grinder. NOTE:If the grinder is regularly used for grinding coffee, be sure to clean it thoroughly before grinding the Garam Masala spices to prevent the spice mix from having a coffee smell!If electric grinder is not available, crush/pound the spices in a sturdy mortar and pestle or a manual spice grinder.
- Use this freshly made spice mix to make some of your favorite foods...Lentil Kababs https://theculinaryheart.com/vegetarian-lentil-kababs-simple-to-make-in-airfryer/
- Pindi Channahttps://theculinaryheart.com/pindi-channa-delicious-and-easy-to-make-from-scratch/
- Tomato Pulaohttps://theculinaryheart.com/quick-tomato-pulao-make-it-with-leftover-rice/
- Tangy, Sweet-spicy Tomato Chutneyhttps://theculinaryheart.com/tangy-tomato-chutney-sweet-spicy-and-easy-to-make/
- and many more! Enjoy!
Notes
Shah Jeera:
Use the following pics to distinguish between Shah Jeera, Caraway seeds and Nigella - their commonly used names can often cause lots of confusion! Visually, though, it is very easy to tell them apart.
Clockwise from left:
Shah Jeera - Bunium persicum - also called Shahi Jeera
- long and thin, delicate looking, slightly curled
- similar in general shape to cumin seeds, a bit longer and darker in color:
- NOT used in Indian cuisine
- common in European cuisine - breads (especially rye bread), pickles, sauerkraut, soup, stews, salads, etc.
- short, jet black, triangular shaped and slightly plump :
- NOT used in Garam Masala
- used in many North Indian foods
- used in many Bengali foods as part of Panch Phoran - the traditional Bengali 5 spice seasoning
- NOT to be confused with Chinese 5-spice seasoning
No spice grinder?
If an electric spice/coffee grinder is not available, crush and pound the whole spices in a sturdy mortar and pestle, or a manual spice mill - similar to a pepper mill used for crushing black pepper
two different types - black marble and metal
Storing Garam Masala:
Store the freshly ground Garam Masala in a glass jar with a well-fitting lid in the freezer- this is the best way to preserve its freshness
- good for 4-5 months, possibly even longer
Nutrition
Calories: 7kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gTrans Fat: 0.001gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 27mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.02gVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!