Garam Masala is one of the most widely used spices in Indian cuisine. For years, I used to buy it at Indian groceries, until I realized I was consuming additional chemicals my body did not need. In fact, I would stock different masalas for different recipes thinking it would enhance the flavor of the dish. More masalas, more chemicals! A few years ago, I decided I’d just make this at home, thanks to my mom. I also realized the basic masala is good enough for a wide range of dishes.

 

What Spices are in Garam Masala?

 

In general, spices used in garam masala recipes vary by region. Personal taste also plays a huge part in how it is made. The most common ingredients include white and black peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, cumin seeds, black cumin, green, brown, and black cardamom, star anise, nutmeg, long pepper and coriander seeds. There are many regional versions of garam masala, but no combination is considered “more authentic” than another.

Whole Spices

Make-Your-Own Garam Masala

Because of the limited ingredients, I like to think of this garam masala as the basic homemade version or the ‘vanilla’ version. All you need is 3 spices – cinnamon bark, clove, and coriander seeds. That’s it! It is important to dry roast them in a pan to ensure there is no moisture. Then cool and blend. Now, how difficult can this be?!

 

Other Indian Spices

While we’re on the subject of Indian spices, here are a few you might want to have handy (in addition to Garam Masala), if you’re interested in cooking Indian food.

With these in your kitchen, you would be able to cover most of the popular recipes.

Some Recipes With Garam Masala

 

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Make-Your-Own Garam Masala

Garam Masala is the quintessential spice powder that is used in a wide variety of Indian recipes. While the overall ingredients may vary, the key spices are cinnamon bark, cloves and coriander seeds.
Course Curry Powder
Cuisine Indian
Keyword cinnamon, clove, coriander seeds, Garam Masala
Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 50 Servings
Calories 9kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Cinnamon - Bark
  • 1/4 Cup Cloves
  • 1 Cup Coriander Seeds

Instructions

Instant Pot (IP)

  • Set Instant Pot (IP) to 'sauté' mode, wait for 'hot' sign. Roast cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds in a pan on medium flame to get rid of any moisture.

Stove Top

  • Set pan on stove top with medium flame. Roast cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds in a pan on medium flame to get rid of any moisture.
  • Allow the spices to cool and then transfer to a blender jar (make sure the jar is clean and dry).
  • Blend to a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar and refrigerate to retain freshness.

Notes

Great with number of Indian recipes like Chana Masala, Aloo Gobi, Dal Makhni and so on.
*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Make-Your-Own Garam Masala
Serving Size
 
15 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
9
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0
g
0
%
Cholesterol
 
0
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
2
mg
0
%
Potassium
 
31
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
2
g
1
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
0
g
0
%
Protein
 
1
g
2
%
Vitamin A
 
0
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
0
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
30
mg
3
%
Iron
 
0.4
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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