How to make Garam Masala at home from scratch

This Garam Masala blend is the best and easiest way to add bags of flavour to your stews, curries and soups. The recipe has been in our family for generations and we sell it here on this website. Until recently, it was our best-kept secret, but I'm sharing it here so you can enjoy it too! 

Our Garam Masala recipe – from our family to yours 

Growing up, our house was always filled with the amazing aromas of Indian or Middle Eastern cooking, and we ate food cooked with spices almost every day. Mum was always busy making plenty of blends in advance to save herself time, and these would provide the backbone of what we ate. 

To this day, every month, on a Sunday, she still makes up a big batch of her grandmother's Garam Masala using our family spice grinder, which has been treasured in the family for over 100 years.

The good news is you don't need a 100-year-old spice grinder or any other fancy equipment to make a gorgeous, aromatic Garam Masala at home. It's so easy and well worth going to the effort. Your home will smell amazing, and your dishes will sing with the flavours of freshly toasted spices.

What is Garam Masala? 

Garam Masala is used extensively in India, and there is no single recipe. Instead, lots of variations exist across regions and within individual families and can differ even down to an individual chef or cook's particular taste. 

But what is it? 

Garam literally means 'spices', and masala means hot. So we are literally talking about a warming spice blend when we say Garam Masala. But just to be confusing, Garam Masala doesn't always have to be spicy or hot! 

Our Great Taste Award Winning Garam Masala recipe 

This Garam Masala blend is super quick and easy to make. Mum toasts all of her whole spices in the oven for ten minutes, grinds them down and then mixes in the ground spices. 

The blend can be stored in a jar or other airtight container and will last about six months if kept out of direct sunlight or heat. 

Ingredients 

Whole spices:

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp black peppercorns

1/2 tsp whole cloves

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

5 green cardamom pods 

Ground spices:

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

Method 

• Preheat your oven to 160 
• Lay your whole spices onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Don't be tempted to skip this step, as the roasting really enhances the flavours. You're looking for the spices to slightly colour but not burn
• Tip into a spice grinder (or use a pestle and mortar), add the ready-ground spices and crush to a fine powder
• Store in a sealed jar for up to six months, adding to your dishes as needed 

Check out recipes using Garam Masala 

Fancy some inspiration? 

Head over to our Recipe section and type Garam Masala into our search bat to check out recipes that make use of this lovely, aromatic blend. 

Will you be trying this Garam Masala blend recipe? 

I'd love to hear how you got on! Share your experiences with us on Instagram or Facebook by heading over to @spicekitchenuk 

Photo credit 

Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash