Spicy Habibti: South Asian Cooking Basics: Garam Masala

Garam Masala means "hot spice" in Hindi & Urdu. Hot being because the spices are actually roasted before they are ground together.

Garam Masala is a very basic spice mix. It is so easy to make and is very versatile. You can add this spice to almost any Indian/Pakistani dish. A little bit goes a long way.

Garam Masala
yield- 1/4 cup Time:15 minutes

-1 Tb Cumin seeds
-1/2 Stick Cinnamon (broken into tiny pieces)
-1Tb whole black Peppercorn
-1Tb Coriander seeds
-1/4 teaspoon ground Ginger

1.) Measure first 4 ingredients into a skillet.
2.) Turn heat to medium, and roast spices for 5-7 minutes. They will turn a golden-brown color.
3.) Let spices cool.
4.) Add the roasted spices to your spice grinder. Add the ginger and grind all the spices together into a fine powder.
5.) Voila, you have your mix. You can store this in a container, in a cool and dark place. I store mine in a cabinet on the bottom shelf. This should last you about 3 months.