Homemade Garam Masala Spice Mix - Indian Cooking Basics

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Homemade Garam Masala Spice Mix - Indian Cooking Basics

A Garam Masala Spice Mix is a blend of warm spices used in Indian cooking. Often you add it to dishes such as tandoori, tikkas and curries. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for homemade garam masala spice mix will turn your every day cooking to a gourmet masterpiece with just a pinch of this warm spice.

What Really is Garam Masala?

First of all, it's pronounced as gah-ram mah-sah-lah. While there is no 'h' in the spelling, it's very much in the pronunciation. In Hindi, which is the national language of India, the word garam means 'warm or hot' and the word masala means 'spices'. So, basically, garam masala is a blend of warm spices.

Hence, it's a blend of warm spices commonly used in Indian cooking.  While garam masala is an Indian spice, there are many versions and variations of it depending on the region. For example, the garam masala in north India will be a little different from that from the south of India. Also, many families have a secret recipe for their garam masala. Typically, this recipe is passed down over the years, from one generation to the next, and guarded as a family secret.

If you like spice mixes like pumpkin spice and gingerbread spice, you will probably love garam masala. Because a lot of these spices are quite similar, such as cinnamon and cloves, etc.

Garam masala adds tons of flavor to an Indian dish. Same as gingerbread spices can pep the gingerbread dough, or pumpkin spice adds depth of flavor to an apple pie.

Is there a difference between curry powder and garam masala?

Yes!! A huge difference. Curry powder consists of basic ingredients that contribute to the taste of the curry, like, coriander, cumin, chilly, cayenne, etc. Garam masala consists of ingredients that add more in terms of flavor such as cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg. As a result, it does add a little taste but not as much as curry powder does to your curry.

Also, you can make a delicious curry with only curry powder and no garam masala. And yet, not the other way around. So, if you had to pick just one - pick the curry powder first because you need the spices in the curry powder as the base for your curry. The garam masala will enhance those flavors and take your curry to the never level.

Therefore, if made correctly, the spices in curry powder and garam masala will not be the same. These days you get curry powders that include some of the garam masala spices in there and vice versa. The problem with this is that when you use both together sometimes these spices get doubled in the curry which ends up with your curry being over powdered with one particular spice. For example, if you have cumin in curry powder and garam masala - guess what? now you have too much cumin in your curry. One way to deal with this would be to buy the same brand of curry powder and garam masala. Since they usually pick the ingredients that balance the two together.

Garam Masala Spice Mix has Health Benefits Too!

There are plenty of health benefits to garam masala! Remember my 5 spice ginger tea for a cold and sore throat?  All these spices apart from adding flavor and warmth to our body have been used for thousands of years by our ancestors for medicinal purposes. Therefore, you can learn about it in Indian literature. And there is a long history of the uses of the garam masala spices in Ayurvedic medicine. Due to the fact that these spices are full of antioxidant properties.

Also, a little goes a long way with them. Just add a sprinkle of garam masala in your next cookie dough to see what I mean. And while there are many different variations of the garam masala - the most common spices used are black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, mace, and bay leaves.

Today, I'm going to share with you my mom's secret recipe for homemade garam masala. The best part of this recipe is you can use it not just in Indian cooking but also in pies, and cookies dough just as you would use pumpkin spice or gingerbread spice. These warm spices will warm you up in winter or add depth of flavor to your next comfort food.

Tip to buying store-bought garam masala spice mix

I'm crazy about making my own spice mixes. And yet, I don't expect everybody else to be the same. Still, I recommend that you make your own garam masala at home. But what if you don't have all those spices? Yes, you can buy a store-bought garam masala. Which one should you choose? Here are a few things to take note. Now, this is my opinion and it's not meant for or any particular brand.

• First of all, I would not buy a garam masala that is not brown in color! No matter how many variations of garam masala I have seen over the years in India, almost all are brown.
• Turmeric - I would not buy one that has turmeric powder in there. While it's a wonderful spice,  it does not belong in garam masala. Rather, it should be in curry powder. 
• In addition, for me, coriander, cumin, paprika belong in curry powder, not in garam masala. I often see a brand that tries to sell their garam masala as the one and only spice you will need for your next Indian curry. Nah, garam masala is used to enhance the flavor, not as the only flavor to curry powder. Furthermore, you can make a delicious curry with just curry powder alone but not the other way around.
• The issue with this "one and only spice you will need" is that often garam masala is used in addition to curry powder, which again has coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika! So, when you add both curry powder and garam masala in your recipe you now have an overdose of some spices which don't necessarily work well.
• So next time you buy garam masala read the label it will tell you what it has in it.

Ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)

• Brown Cardamon - Often referred to as a queen of spices by many Indian chefs. Very different from the green cardamon. It adds a delicious strong smokey taste and flavor. As a result, it's often used in meat dishes like chicken biryani as well as in Indian Chai Spice Mix.  Also, it can be added to stews, slow-cooked and braised dishes too. I highly recommend looking for this spice as it does add so much depth of flavor. Having said that, if you must substitute I suggest you add two more green cardamons.
• Green Cardamon - Has a very strong pungent flavor. Very commonly used in middle eastern coffee.  The cardamon has a number of seeds inside the pods which are usually what are ground and sold as cardamon powder. Here, we use the whole spice including the outside green cover.
• Star Anise - Does actually look like a star with a seed in the middle and eight segments. It has a slightly bitter flavor and is very popularly used as medicine. I remember when we had the flu, mom would boil star anise in milk, then add a pinch of turmeric, pepper, and honey. We didn't have a choice we had to drink it up! Now I do it with my babies too.
• Mace - Unfortunately this wonderful spice is very rarely used. My mom used it often. Mace is the outer cover of the nutmeg which has a tan yellowish and red color. It has a nutty, sweet and warm flavor. You can use a pinch of mace powder in desserts just like you would use nutmeg.
  I know mace can be hard to find so if you can't find it you can omit it. Do not use nutmeg as a substitute as it is has a strong flavor and does not do with all dishes.
• Bay Leaf and Cinnamon- are very easily found in most supermarkets and are often used in cooking stews, soups, and pot roast. For garam masala spice mix, I prefer to use the dried variety as it blends to powder more easily.

How to Make Homemade Garam Masala Spice Mix (Save/Pin)

For the whole spices

• Have all your ingredients measured out
• Place a frying pan on low heat for a minute.
• Once hot - add all the whole spices in a hot pan.
• Keep the heat on low and light shake the pan to toast them.
• You will start to get the spices to give out a beautiful aroma.
• Take it off the heat and let cool until barely warm.
• Place all the whole and powder spices in a spice blender (yes you need a spice blender).
• Pulse it a few times until finely ground.
• Pour them into a spice jar.
• Your curry powder is not ready for use.

For the ground spices

• Measure all ground spices.
• Combine them all in a small jar.
• Close the lid and give it a good shake.
• Voila - your homemade curry powder spice mix is ready to use.

Storage

• Always store in an airtight jar to ensure the flavor of the spices is sealed in well.
• Ideally, these spices have a long shelf life as stated by the supermarkets - but it's best to make a note on the jar so you know when its time to make a new batch.
• Finally, read the expiry date on the powders you used - choose the one with the earliest date as a guide.

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Frequently asked questions?

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Homemade Garam Masala Spice Mix - Indian Cooking Basics

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 1 min

Total Time: 6 mins

Calories: 96kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 31 grams

Description

A Garam Masala Spice Mix is a blend of warm spices used in Indian cooking. Often you add it to dishes such as tandoori, tikkas and curries. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for homemade garam masala spice mix will turn your every day cooking to a gourmet masterpiece with just a pinch of this warm spice.

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE - 31 grams

Ingredients

From whole spices

• 12 corns (12 corns) Peppercorns
• 2 pods (2 leave) Brown cardamom
• 4 pods (4 pods) Green cardamom
• 4 med (4 med) Bay leaf
• 20 Cloves (20 Cloves) Cloves
• 6-inch stick (6 stick) Cinnamon
• 2 tsp (2 tsp) Caraway seeds
• 1 star (1 star) Star anise
• 2-inch piece (2 piece) Mace

From ground spices

• 2 tsp (2 tsp) Pepper powder
• 2 tsp (2 tsp) Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Bay leaf powder
• 2 tsp (2 tsp) Clove powder
• 2 tsp (2 tsp) Cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Caraway seeds  powder
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Star anise powder
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Mace powder

Instructions

For the whole spices

• Measure all of your ingredients.
• Place a frying pan on low heat for a minute.
• Once hot - add all the whole spices in hot pan.
• Keep the heat on low and light shake the pan to toast them.
• You will start to get the spices to give out a beautiful aroma.
• Take it off the heat and let cool until barely warm.
• Place all the whole and powder spices in a spice blender (yes you need a spice blender).
• Pulse it a few times until finely ground.
• Pour them into a spice jar.
• Your curry powder is not ready for use.

For the ground spices

• Measure all ground spices.
• Combine them all in a small jar.
• Close the lid and give it a good shake.
• Voila - your homemade curry powder spice mix is ready to use.

Recipe Notes

Storage

• Always store in an airtight jar to ensure the flavor of the spices is sealed in well.
• Ideally, these spices have a long shelf life as stated by the supermarkets - but it's best to make a note on the jar so you know when its time to make a new batch.
• Finally, read the expiry date on the powders you used - choose the one with the earliest date as a guide.

 

The below video show how to use my garam masala to make a quick chicken curry with just six ingredients. 

Equipment

Spice blender

Spice jar

Nutrition Information

Serving: 31gramsCalories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 7mgPotassium: 0mgFiber: 9.4gSugar: 0gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 0mgIron: 0mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about itMention @veenaazmanov or #tag on Instagram #veenaazmanov

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