Homemade Garam Masala Recipe

I make Indian inspired dishes all the time, and garam masala is one of the most used spice blends in my kitchen along with Italian seasoning, and Middle Eastern Baharat. The reason why I love making my own spice blends at home is that I can control the ingredients, the ratios, and the spiciness. Plus, it’s much cheaper to make your own blends at home and think about the added sugars and additives that are often added to store-bought blends. Garam masala is one of the spice blends that I always keep a large jar in my pantry. I add it to curries, mushroom bhaji, raitas, and every time I want to add an Indian touch to a dish.

What Is Garam Masala

So, “garam” means hot, and “masala” means a mixture of spices. So garam masala is a mixture of spices that originated in India and used as a seasoning in many Indian dishes. The components of the masala are toasted to activate them so that they release their flavors and fragrances, then ground together to get the mixture to be used in preparing different dishes. There are many different versions of garam masala in India, and the different flavors depend on the area where they come from. Our version here is the closest to authentic, that you can easily make in the Western world. And by that I mean, using ingredients that are easy to find in your grocery store.

Garam Masala Ingredients

Cinnamon sticks – or cassia bark. Bay leaves. Nutmeg, and cloves. Black peppercorns. Cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Dried chili – substitute with chili powder if that’s what you have available. Cardamom pods – we used green but you can use black cardamom if that’s what you have available. Although they taste different, they are typically used and work in this mix.

How to Make Garam Masala

First, you need to collect the spices. You can either collect ground spices and just mix them, or as I did, collect whole spices and toast them then grind them. To toast the spices, put them in a dry hot skillet and toast for 4-5 minutes. I use a wooden spoon and mix so they don’t get burnt. They will be really fragrant once toasted.

Alternatively, put the spices on a sheet pan and bake at 180c (360f) for 5 minutes. Once the spices are toasted, grind them using a pestle and mortar or an electric grinder.

If you’re looking to buy a really good electric spice grinder, then I can recommend this Cuisinart spice grinder (currently on sale for just $36, it went down from $70). This is the grinder that we used at the cookery school when I did my chef training, it’s so efficient, and the reason why I love it is because it comes with a removable stainless steel bowl (most cheaper spice grinders come with built-in bowls which makes them so difficult to clean). And you can just pop the bowl in the dishwasher! It’s also great for grinding nuts. The KitchenAid spice grinder is also great, it comes with 2 bowls and that’s perfect if you also would like to also grind coffee.

Storing Spices

Whole spices stay fresh for longer, once you grind them, they need to be stored in a cool dry place. However, homemade spices last much longer than any ground spice that you buy from a store. So store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place for up to a year.