Name: Garam Masālā
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Makes ½ Cup (About 56 g)
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon cloves (about 20); 2 black cardamom pods, husks removed (about ½ teaspoon seeds), optional; 1 small piece mace, optional; 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches/7.5 cm); 1 star anise; ½ nutmeg, crushed; 1½ tablespoons fennel seeds; 2 bay leaves, torn, optional; 24 green cardamom pods, husks removed (about 1 teaspoon seeds); ¼ cup (17 g) coriander seeds; ½ teaspoon black peppercorns (about 25); 2 tablespoons cumin seeds

Preparation info

Makes
½ Cup

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
15 min

Appears in

Plant-Based India

By Sheil Shukla

Published 2022

About

Garam masālā means “warm spice blend” in Hindi, and it provides incredible nuance and warmth without spicy heat. It is used widely throughout North Indian cuisine and in the recipes in this book. Black cardamom (which offers smoky depth) and mace (the outer coating of nutmeg, which lends a subtle floral sweetness) may be more difficult to find at your average grocer, but I recommend sourcing them from an Indian grocer or online. Feel free to omit them if they’re not available.