A fragrant North Indian spice blend that forms the heart of countless curries and dishes. This homemade version uses whole spices toasted and ground fresh for maximum flavor and aroma. The warm, complex blend includes cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.
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9 items
Heat a dry heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute until warm but not smoking.
Add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green cardamom pods and black cardamom pods (if using), black peppercorns, cinnamon stick (broken into pieces), whole cloves, and bay leaves to the dry skillet.
, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until fragrant and slightly darkened in color, about 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
Transfer immediately to a plate and allow to cool completely to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
Remove seeds from cardamom pods and discard the pods. Break bay leaves into smaller pieces.
Working in batches if necessary, grind the cooled spices in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until you achieve a fine powder. Add optional nutmeg if using.
Sift the ground spice mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any large pieces. Re-grind any coarse bits and sift again.
Transfer the finished garam masala to an airtight glass jar or container and label with the date.
