Garam Masala
A mixture of aromatic (and generally expensive) spices that according to the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine are meant to heat the body. This is the only spice mixture that I ask you to make at home and keep in storage. Its aroma is unsurpassed if mixed and ground at home in small quantities. Also, it will not contain cheap “filler” spices, such as coriander seeds, as many commercial mixtures do. I do keep the store-bought mixture in my cupboard as well for use in certain dishes that require less perfume. My recipes will tell you which one to use.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds (buy the seeds or remove from pods)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/3 of a nutmeg (just hit it with a meat pounder or hammer to break it)
One 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken up
Preparation
Grind all these in a clean coffee grinder and store in a dark cupboard.
Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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