Mattu Massi's Garam Masala

• annokset: 2 1/2 c (593 ml)

Ainekset

1 cup (96 g) cumin seeds

1/2 cup (40 g) coriander seeds

1/4 cup (21 g) black cardamom pods

12 (3-inch [7.5-cm]) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces

1/4 cup (21 g) whole cloves

1/4 cup (25 g) whole black peppercorn

2 whole nutmegs (or 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg)

Ohjeet

In a shallow, heavy pan, dry roast all ingredients over medium heat. (If using ground nutmeg, wait until the next step to add it or the powder will burn.) Stay close and shake the pan every 15 to 20 seconds to prevent the spices from burning. The spices should be just toasted and aromatic. After about 4 minutes of roasting, transter the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.

Once the mixture is cool, transfer the ingredients to a spice grinder or the dry jug of a powerful blender, such as a Vitamix. (Add the ground nutmeg at this point, if using.) Process to a fine powder. You may need to process it in small batches, depending on the size of your grinder. Sift after grinding to get a finer powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Muistiinpanot

In Hindi, garam means "warm" or "hot", while masala means "blend of spices." This combination of spices has become synonymous with North Indian cooking. There's no one garam masala recipe-every household has its own magical blend.. The recipe below is my grandmother's (Beeji's) that my Mattu Massi (maternal aunt) in Chandigarh grinds to this day. The only thing I changed is that I added coriander seeds, which Massi says she nonally avoids because this tends to make the mixture spoil in warm climates. I also dry roasted the spices. You can grind them without roasting them. as Massi does. Just know that roasting the spices makes them more pungent, and vou should use a little less of the roasted version of garam masala than you would of the unroasted version.