Garam Masala
Ingredients
4 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds
(measured after roasting and removing pods)
4 cinnamon quills
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
Directions
In a dry wok or heavy frying pan roast individually the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon quills (roughly broken) and cloves. They need to be roasted individually because of varying sizes and moisture content. As each one starts to smell fragrant turn onto a plate to cool. After roasting, peel the cardamoms, discard pods and use only the seeds. Put all into an electric blender or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Finely grate the nutmeg and mix in. Store in a glass jar with an airtight lid. Note: For convenience, the blend may be made using ground spices, roasting them over lowest heat as ground spices burn more readily. When fragrant, turn onto a plate to cool. Mix and store airtight.
Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)