DIY Garam Masala

Did you know that bananas are berries? Did you know that Clint Eastwood once became mayor of Carmel to overturn a ban on ice cream parlors? And did you know that you can make your own garam masala? It’s true! I’ve done it and so can you, thanks to Pushpesh Pant’s India Cookbook. 

Garam masala is a staple in Indian cooking and it’s the first recipe in Pushpesh’s book. I had all the individual spices on hand, so it made sense to make a small batch to use as I needed. Pushpesh’s recipe yields about a pound, so I cut the ingredients down to fit into a small jar, making sure the proportions remained the same. What I ended up with was a strongly aromatic blend that doesn’t ask to be cooked with - it grabs you by the nose and demands to be.  

You will need:

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 9 green cardamom pods
• 3 black cardamom pods

Grind in a coffee or spice grinder, pound with a mortar and pestle or hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer or anvil. Strain to get rid of the larger cardamom pod shell bits and store in a sterilized, airtight jar. The sterilization will keep it fresh, and the airtight seal will keep all that flavor mightiness at bay until you’re ready for it.