Make Your Own Masala Spices For
Fabulous Indian and Asian Cooking

If like me cooking Indian food is a favoured pastime of yours, then making masala spices is a must! It's easy to do and you can make them as hot and spicy or as light and mild as your taste buds prefer. Below is a milder version.

What You'll Need: (makes about 7-8 tablespoons)

4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp ginger powder
5 green cardamom pods
2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp allspice berries
3 inch stick of cinnamon
5-6 dried bay leaves

tbsp = tablespoon
tsp = teaspoon

Directions:

Break up the cinnamon stick and remove the cardamom seeds from their pods

Grind these along with the coriander, allspice, cloves, bay leaves, cumin and peppercorns

Sieve everything into a bowl. Regrind any bits that don't sieve

Mix in the nutmeg and ginger powder

Store this garam masala mix in an airtight container and out of sunlight. Use within 3 months before making a fresh lot.

Note: Before grinding, you can dry toast the whole ingredients for a few minutes over a medium heat for even more flavours and aromas. Click here to read more about toasting and grinding. (Link opens in new window)