Garam Masala

If spices are the basis of Indian cooking, the blending of these spices to make a garam masala or ‘hot spices’ is the essence of it. The use of a solitary spice or herb is all the rest of the world, particularly the West, can ‘cope’ with. There seems to be a fear of using more than one spice. Which is why Westerners find the use of a melange of spices in Indian cookery incomprehensible. To us, each spice in the melange has a specific purpose to perform. To go into the details of each spice is beyond the scope of this book, leave alone this chapter. Suffice it to say that it is important to be a good masalchi before one can become a good chef. It is advisable to try out various combinations of spices fearlessly. Before that, however, a clear understanding of each and every spice is imperative. Accordingly, the proportions of spices can be changed as the seasons change. For example, in the hot summer months, reduce the quantity of mace and nutmeg—they can give a nosebleed.