Kashmiri Garam Masala
Ingredients
30 g/1 oz cumin seeds
30 g/1 oz large brown cardamom pods
30 g/1 oz fennel seeds
15 g/1/2 oz green cardamom pods
2 cinnamon quills
3 cassia leaves, optional
(do not substitute bay leaves)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground mace
1 whole nutmeg, finely grated
Directions
In a heavy pan roast separately the cumin seeds, brown cardamom pods, fennel seeds, green cardamom pods, cinnamon quills (broken into pieces) and cassia leaves until they are fragrant and slightly darker in colour. As each one is ready, turn onto a plate to cool.
Give the brown cardamom pods a few good thumps with a rolling pin, or in a mortar and pestle, just enough to break open the pods. Remove and discard the pods, reserve the seeds. (Pods of green cardamom have thin shells and may be ground together with the seeds.)
Grind the roasted spices to a fine powder. Sift out any large pieces, combine with the ground cloves, mace and nutmeg and store the powder airtight.
Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)