Garam Masala

Garam masala is one of those iconic Indian spice blends which brings warmth, depth and flavour to Indian cooking, and for me, it has always been special. This is a family recipe—my mother has been making her own garam masala for years, and it is the one I grew up with. It is a Punjabi-style garam masala, fragrant, balanced, and incredibly versatile. I use it in just about everything—from simple everyday sabzis and dals to rajma, chole and even festive dishes like kadhai paneer, shahi paneer and much more—and it never fails to amaze me.

Makes about 340 g

Time: 20 minutes (plus 5–6 hours sun-drying)

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Ingredients

• 100 g cumin seeds

• 100 g coriander seeds

• 25 g black peppercorns

• 25 g black cardamom

• 10 g green cardamom

• 10 g bay leaves

• 3 whole nutmeg or 2 ½ tsp nutmeg powder

• 25 g dry ginger

• 10 g cloves

• 4-inch cinnamon stick

• 10 g mace (Javitri)

• 10 g long pepper (Peepli)

• 10 g star anise

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Recipe

1. Measure all the whole spices one by one and spread them out in a single layer on a large platter.

2. Place the bay leaves on a separate platter. Once everything is measured, set the spices out in the sun for at least 5–6 hours. Make sure the sun is bright and consistent, with no wind or humidity in the air. The temperature should be at least 30°C—the hotter, the better.

3. After the spices have been sun-dried for 5–6 hours, grind them into a powder in a spice grinder. Use the pulse function or grind on a low setting to prevent generation of excess heat, which can cause the aromatic oils in the spices to degrade and evaporate.

4. Add nutmeg powder at this stage and mix it in. Alternatively, you can sun-dry whole nutmeg along with the other spices and grind it together.

5. Your garam masala is now ready. Ensure the spice blend is completely cool to the touch—if it’s still warm, spread it out on a plate to cool. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container for storage.

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Notes

• If the heat is inconsistent during the day or it turns cloudy midway, simply transfer the spices into a ziploc bag and put them out again for drying when the weather improves.

• Always let the garam masala cool completely before sealing it in an airtight container to prevent moisture build-up or mild condensation, which can lead to spoilage.

• This garam masala is very versatile—you can use it in any Indian dish.

• You can store it in an air tight and always use a dry spoon. It would be good at room temperature for six months and even more. However, it does start to loose fragrance and potency after 6 months. If you want to store it for longer, say a year, you can put it in a freezer safe ziploc bag and store it in the freezer.