Garam masala
There are few things I am thankful for this quarantine period. Do not get me wrong. I totally wish we did not have Corona in this world ever. But with this in scope right now, I am thankful that everyone I know are safe and have the basic necessities. I am thankful we all have access to each other virtually. I am thankful for INTERNET :). I am also super thrilled whenever I get to learn simple stuff like this from mil which I never end up learning/ documenting because she usually prefers to do all the spice powders when none of us are at home. She usually just does multiple masalas (garam masala/ molagapodi/ karuvepillai podi etc) all on the same day (1 kadai for dry roasting & the same mixer jar for grinding :)). One of the main reasons she prefers doing the powders/ spice mixes when we are not around is because dry roasting our spices typically gets our nose/ throat to react/ flare and invariably people in the house are sneezing for a good half hour :). Technically she is being nice but I was always annoyed that I don’t get to learn these. So now she has no choice but to do these when we are around and I couldn’t be happier :D. Hopefully I get to learn more of these (guntoor idli podi is next on my list) and document them along the way.
Mil started making garam masalas last 3-4 years and prior to that has always been thanks to Everest :). When she made the swamp, I did not enjoy this initially as my mind kept going back to the packaged brand flavours. But over the years and especially with me actively cooking a lot more I realise that the flavours/ aroma that comes out of the home made garam masala is so good and the packaged ones come nowhere close. And of course the next thing to consider is quality of the spices we use to grind to make garam masala. We are particular about the cinnamon we buy (the double roll ones typically from Sri Lanka) etc. Net result of the masala we back obvious reflects the quality of ingredients we put in. So if you are one of those who is used to buying packaged garam masala, try this out. You won’t go back to buying ever :). Its also really easy to make and so I do not see a reason as to why not to try this. Also as per mil’s calculations, this saves a good amount of money.
- 15 nos bay leaf (medium size)
- 10 nos cloves
- 6 nos black cardamom/ badi elaichi
- 6 nos star anise
- 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds/ sombu
- 1 tbsp mace/ javithri
- 1 tbsp stone flower/ kalpasi
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp whole black pepper
- 3-4 nos kashmiri chilli optional. we did not use it.
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Place all the ingredients on a plate or basically just get all the ingredients ready.
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Dry roast on medium flame in a kadai/ pan for 5 minutes or till the bay leaf is crunchy/ breaks when you press it.
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Turn off heat & let the spices cool down.
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In a small mixer jar, grind bay leaf (just to get space in the jar) and then add the rest of the spices and grind everything together into smooth powder/ masala.
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If the masala is a little warm, leave it out for a few minutes to cool down.
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Transfer and store in an air tight container. Use it as and when needed.
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We usually freeze our masalas in the freezer section.
- We don’t add kashmiri chillies but if you want a rich colour, add them to the list of ingredients.
Stepwise pictures
Measure and place all the spices required for the masala on to a plate/ bowl. 
Dry roast all the spices on medium flame for 5 minutes or till you can feel the bay leaf nicely crunching and breaking when pressed. Make sure to saute constantly and not leave it unattended. 
Turn off heat & let the spices cool down. 
In a small mixer jar, grind the bay leaf first (to get space) and then add the rest of the spices and grind everything together to a smooth powder consistency. 
Aromatic garam masala ready. If the masala is a bit warm, let it out for a few minutes to cool down. 
Transfer to an airtight container & use it wherever needed (We keep most of our masalas in the freezer section)
