Wednesday 18 May 2016

Our House Garam Masala.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

How are you guys today?
It is a cloudy Wednesday here and I've been busy making tacos. The recipe will be on the blog during Ramadan. This year, I'm trying to be organised and shoot most of my Ramadan recipes before the blessed month begins.
The fasts will be really long this year and I know from experiencing last year, that the last thing I want to be doing when fasting is taking photos of food. 
I hope your Ramadan preparation is going well. Are you one of those people who makes and freezes food for the month? In our house, we tend to cook fresh on the day simply because a freezer full of things that need to be deep-fried is way too dangerous. Last Ramadan, we went without samosas the whole month and treated ourselves to a fresh batch on Eid.
However you are preparing for Ramadan, make sure that this prayer is constantly in your mind. May we live to experience this beautiful month and take as much benefit from it as we can - ameen. So as I have been shooting loads of new Ramadan recipes, this recipe for Our House Garam Masala was on my list. I mentioned in this chicken curry recipe that in our house, we grind all our own spices at home.
And like most Pakistani households, my Mother has her own blend of garam masala that she uses in almost every curry. It is so easy to do and uses the most basic ingredients. Whole spices are measured, toasted, ground and popped into airtight jars. The simplest recipe and so much better than anything in a packet. Use it as a finishing spice to curries and other dishes for a deep, smoky hit!

Garam Masala in Action, previously: our house pakistani chicken curry // chicken seekh kebabs // lamb chop curry // chana gosht

A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Cumin Seeds
2. Coriander Seeds
3. Cinnamon Sticks
4. Black Peppercorns
5. Black Cardamoms

Bismillah, let's begin!

Garam masala is the easiest thing. We begin with a large pan to toast our spices in.

First up, 110 grams Cumin Seeds.

Add them to the pan.

Next up ...

... 55 grams Coriander Seeds.

In they go!

After the coriander seeds comes ....

... cinnamon sticks.

Add in 25 grams Cinnamon Sticks.


Break them up so they're easier to measure and add in.


Next, black peppercorns.


Add in 25 grams Black Peppercorns.


Peppercorns in and time for the last spice ...


... black cardamoms.


In goes 25 grams Black Cardamoms.


All our five spices are in!


Give everything a quick stir.


Place the pan over a medium heat.


Toast the spices for a few minutes until fragrant.


Keep stirring as you toast the spices so that everything is toasted evenly.


Once the spices are fragrant, remove from the heat.


At this point, this is the whole garam masala spice mix. You can cool it and store as it is in airtight jars to grind when needed or use whole if you wish.


To grind the spices, take a coffee grinder. We use coffee grinders just for grinding spices. Ours is well used, as you can see!

Remove the lid.


Spoon the whole spices ...


... in batches.


Once in ...


... pop on the lid.

Grind to a fine powder.


Once ground, the garam masala is ready to put into a jar.


We use these airtight jars to store all our spices.


In they go!


Once in, it will last in an airtight container in the cupboard for up to 6 months



You can halve or double the recipe as you wish! Enjoy!

Full Written Recipe:


Our House Garam Masala.

Prep Time: About 5 minutes.
Cook Time: About 3 minutes.
Serves: Makes about 200 grams.

Ingredients
110 grams Cumin Seeds
55 grams Coriander Seeds
25 grams Cinnamon Sticks
25 grams Black Peppercorns
25 grams Black Cardamoms

Method

Toast the spices! Place all the spices into a dry pan over a medium heat and toast for a few minutes until fragrant. Be sure to keep stirring.

Cool! Let the spices cool slightly before grinding.

Grind! Place the spice mixture, in batches, into a spice grinder. Grind until you get a powder. Continue with the rest or keep the toasted spices in an airtight jar to grind when needed.


Store! Store the garam masala powder in an airtight jar or container. Use in curries and other dishes, as needed.

This Time One Year Ago:
Spicy Grilled Chicken Salad + Creamy Coriander Dressing

This Time Two Years Ago:
Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

This Time Three Years Ago:
Chicken Vegetable Spring Rolls + Chilli Dipping Sauce

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy making your garam masala!



Wasalaam!


Spice Enthusiast
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