Each Indian household has a special blend of spices, their own special recipe when they make their garam masala. Garam Masala is a pantry staple in Indian cooking, and, while you can easily buy it, the Yummies needed a blend of their own. While there are exceptions, most of the mini-chefs in my classes have had one thing in common: they do not like spicy things. Spicy in the sense of “piquante”-ay yi yi, chili peppers, etc., not in the sense of pungent. Their palettes are really sensitive, so unless they have had a strong diet of chili peppers since before they were born, a lot of spiciness will just burn their palettes out and make the food unenjoyable. Garam Masala is a way to impart flavor without burning up those little palettes.
Making a spice blend like this at home also ensures that you have control over what goes into the garam masala. Below is a recipe that you should feel free to play with as much as you like, making it your very own house blend once you figure out exactly what your family loves most.
Mira helps me mix the spices so that, even though a lot of Indian cooking is done at the stovetop where she is not yet allowed, she can still be part of the food that gets made there. It would be wonderful if you had a spice grinder (a coffee grinder works well and of course a mortar and pestle) and could grind all of the spices below as whole spices, but if that is too fussy, then use fresh ground spices that haven’t been sitting around in your cupboard for too long.
We love making roast potatoes with a squeeze of lime or lemon and a sprinkle of our fresh garam masala.
Garam Masala Yummy House Blend
- 1 T. cardamom
- 1/2 t. cloves
- 1 T. cinnamon
- 2 t. cumin
- 2 t. nutmeg
- 2 t. black pepper
- 1/2 t. ground fennel seeds
- In a small, clean jam jar, measure and mix all of the ingredients.
- Store in the jar for up to 6 weeks with the top tightly sealed.
