How to make garam masala

First things first, what actually is garam masala?

In Hindi, the term ‘garam’ means ‘warm’ or ‘hot’ and ‘masala’ means spice mix. But garam masala is not ‘hot’ as in spicy, it is more of a warming, sweet and earthy blend - and even slightly floral. Effectively, garam masala is a blend of warming spices. There are many ways of making garam masala and it varies massively in India depending on the region or household.

Although mainstream recipes suggest mixing supermarket ground spices, we advise against this as ground spices oxidise and lose their flavour. We recommend using BoTree’s whole spices where possible for a more authentic garam masala recipe.

Garam Masala Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of Wild Mountain Cumin

• 1½ teaspoons of crushed Nile Coriander

• 1 ½ teaspoons of Cloud Forest Cardamom

• 1 ½ teaspoons of Black Kampot Pepper

• ½ teaspoon of Pemba Cloves

• 1 teaspoon of Royal Cinnamon

Roast your spices

Throw all of your garam masala ingredients into a skillet on a low heat to retain the flavours. Roasting them will bring out the aroma of the essential oils in the spices! Roast until crackling and fragrant, stirring often, being careful not to scorch.

Grind in a spice grinder or blender until ground into a fine powder.

Make sure you store in a sealable jar.

When to use garam masala?

Garam masala is perfect for curries, soups, stews and so much more - you can even try a pinch on top of your roasted veggies! There are two times to use garam masala - at the beginning and at the end. The most common way is to add it at the start if cooking along with oil and onions, this creates a deep, smokey backnote of pepper and cumin to your dish. It also works as a great addition to sprinkle garam masala at the end, which will leave notes of cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.