Garam Masala

Name: Garam Masala
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: Makes 140 g (5 oz)
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 8-10 dried Kashmiri chillies; 6 tbsp coriander seeds; 2 tbsp fennel seeds; 5 tbsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp black peppercorns; 3 black cardamom pods; 8 green cardamom pods; 2 cinnamon sticks (each around 7.5 cm/3 inches in length); 5 cloves; 2 star anise; 3 Indian bay leaves; 2 mace blades; 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg; 1 tsp ground ginger

Preparation info

Makes
140
g

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
5 min

Appears in

15-Minute Indian

By Anjula Devi

Published 2025

About

Packed with aromatic warming spices, less is more with this masala. ‘Garam’ in Hindi means ‘warm’ and ‘masala’ means ‘spices’. It’s a great quick fix when you have very little time to whip up something delicious. Like most spice blends, it should be stored in a cool, dark cupboard or kept in the fridge.

Ingredients

8-10 dried Kashmiri chillies
6 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp

Asia
India
Spice Mix
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Leaving the ground nutmeg and ginger to one side, add all of the remaining ingredients to a cold dry frying pan.
Set the heat to low and dry roast, stirring often, until you can see them darken in colour and smell the aromas. This should take 3-4 minutes. Ensure not to burn the spices as this will result in a bitter flavour; it is best not to take your eyes off