This is my happy spice. Roasting these spices must release endorphins in the body, because it always gives me a bit of happy when the fragrance begins to fill the house... Not a bad way to start cooking eh? Roasting garam masala is well worth the effort; in a dish it is simply DIVINE! Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer, otherwise the garam masala will begin to loose its wonderful aroma within a day or two. Don't buy it from a bin or in a packet because it won't be the same.
4 tsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
4 (3inch) cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
2 tsp cardamom seeds, without the pods
• Place the cardamoms separately on a small roasting pan.
• Place all the other ingredients on a baking tray.
• Roast them all at the same time at 275F.
• As the kitchen fills with the aroma of roasting spices, remove both pans from the oven, and let them cool.
• Peel the cardamoms, discard the pods, and retain the seeds.
• Chop the nutmeg into manageable pieces.
• Place all the spices in a coffee grinder or with mortar and pestle grind or pound them very fine. In a bind it can be wrapped in an old but clean kitchen towel and crushed with a hammer.
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
4 (3inch) cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
2 tsp cardamom seeds, without the pods
• Place the cardamoms separately on a small roasting pan.
• Place all the other ingredients on a baking tray.
• Roast them all at the same time at 275F.
• As the kitchen fills with the aroma of roasting spices, remove both pans from the oven, and let them cool.
• Peel the cardamoms, discard the pods, and retain the seeds.
• Chop the nutmeg into manageable pieces.
• Place all the spices in a coffee grinder or with mortar and pestle grind or pound them very fine. In a bind it can be wrapped in an old but clean kitchen towel and crushed with a hammer.
