Garam means Hot, and Masala means Spice.

Garam Masala(Whole Spices)

Garam Masala is referred to a combination of different spices. They may be used whole or ground into to a powder. If its used whole they are usually added in the beginning of the recipe, and if used in the powder form, its sprinkled on the dish after its done cooking.

The hot in garam masala is not the same kind of hot as in hot green peppers. It actually are the spices which raises the body temperature. Therefore garam masala is used in very little quantity. I usually use about only 1/3 teaspoon of garam masala in a recipe for a serving of 4-5.

The following is the recipe for Punjabi Garam Masala. The spices may or may not be roasted prior to grinding. For this particular recipe, I do not roast the spices.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons whole Coriander seeds
1 tablespoon Cumin
2 tablespoons small green cardamom
2 tablesoons cloves
2 tablespoons peppercorns
4 sticks of cinnamon, approx. 2″ each
3 Bay Leaves
3 Red Dried Peppers
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Preparation:
Grind all ingredients dry in a spice or coffee grinder.

May be stored in air tight containers for many months.

Tags: Bay Leaves, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Garam Masala, homemade, peppercorn, punjabi, recipe, vegetarian, vegetarian cooking recipe

This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 8:58 am and is filed under The Whats and Hows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.