Traditional Garam Masala

Garam masala means “hot spice mixture,” a somewhat misleading Western translation because Indian cooks talk about spices that either heat or cool the body—distinctions that have little to do with how hot they are in the mouth. Garam masala is the spice mixture most often used in Northern Indian cooking. None of the spices for the following garam masala need be roasted, because they are all intensely aromatic.