Garam masala is a key blend of spices and the most used spice blend in my North Indian Punjabi family’s home cooking. It’s normally used at the end of the cooking process but can also be used to finish a meal as it has a gorgeous aroma.

Garam means hot or warm and masala is a blend of spices. Together they mean warm spices.

Although there is a variety of garam masala blends available to buy on the market, I like to make my own at home, a recipe of course that’s been passed onto me from many generations. It has a great depth of flavour! 

My mum has insisted using garam masala in all her dishes from curries, to meat marination and has sometimes also used it in desserts. Mum has always said that it’s good for digestion and that it is loaded with antioxidants as well which is an added bonus. 

The intensity of the individual spices can fade after a short time from packaging however which can change the balance of flavours. For this reason I like to make my own blends regularly.

The recipe below is a simple yet a beautiful blend of spices to create your very own garam masala. You can either use a traditional mortar and pestle or an electric grinder. 

• 250g  whole corriander seeds
• 180g whole cumin seeds
• 150g whole black peppers 
• 150g whole black peppers 
• 50g cloves
• 20g cinnamon sticks crushed
• 20 black cardamom pods spilt open seeds and husks roughly crushed 

Mix together the whole spices and gently toast in the oven for 15 minutes. Do not burn. Allow to cook and grind the whole spices in a spice grinder. Keep it chunky. Store in a airtight container. 

With love, Preeti