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Garam masala blend on a small dish with whole spices scattered around

Homemade Garam Masala

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 pan
  • spice grinder

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp green cardamom pods
  • 1/2 tbsp cloves
  • 1/3 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick ~8cm
  • 1 bay leaf

Optional:

  • 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 star anise
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 1/4 nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Heat the pan to medium-low.
  • Add coriander seeds and toast for 4-5 minutes until they've darkened and released their aroma. Remove from the pan and let cool.
  • Add fennel seeds and toast for 1.5-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.
  • Toast cumin seeds for just under a minute until they have darkened. Remove from the pan and let cool.
  • Add the whole spices and toast for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.
  • Transfer the cinnamon stick, star anise, nutmeg and allspice berries to a grinder and press a few time to break them. Then add the rest of the spices and grind to a fine powder.
  • Store in an airtight container in a dry place.

Notes

  • The above quantities yield about 25g garam masala.
  • If you don’t want to pre-toast the spices, you can grind them raw but then add the seasoning early in the cooking so that the spices have time to cook.