Grinding my own garam

Spicy food is something I love, but even though I have a cabinet full of spices I’ve never actually made my own garam masala before. This is mostly because I’m incredibly lazy but it’s also because we have a Penzeys Spice Store here in town…I always assumed that their blends are as good as fresh. Holy cow…I can’t believe how stupid I was. Penzeys is good, but fresh toasted and ground is fantastic…it’s like fireworks in your mouth…like spicy pop-rocks, like a mini-vacation to a warm and loveable land.

I guess you can tell I’m enthusiastic about this…it’s like someone who just quit smoking, or lost 30 pounds, or found god….it’s all they can talk about, and every single conversation eventually turns to their obsession. That’s me baby…I’m a grinder and toaster now…never to go back to my lazy, idle ways of sloth and less robust flavor.

Besides being filled with that aforementioned fabulous flavor, it was super easy (btw, I said “super” with a french accent…as in “soup-per”). I searched the interwebs and found lots of recipes for garam masala and they all pretty much used similar spices while noting that garam masala is perfect for customizing to your personal taste. I used black peppercorns, cloves, green cardamom, star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black cumin seeds. I toasted them in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until they were fragrant, the aroma flitting about the house like a spring breeze, and then I tipped them into the grinder that I use for spices. I pulsed them until they were ground well…but not too fine and then I made the best garam masala curry I’ve ever, ever made.

Garam Masala Spice Blend
printer-friendly recipe

1 1/2 Tbs black peppercorns
3/4 Tbs black cumin seeds (kala jeera)
1 1/2 tsp whole cloves
4 large green cardamom pods
2″ stick of cinnamon
1/2 a whole nutmeg
2 star anise

Gently roast all spices and grind everything to a fine powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Makes enough for two batches.

Garam Masala Curry

1 onion
1 potato
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 chicken breast
canola oil

Peel and dice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy pan and toss the onions and half of the garam masala spice mix into the pan. Stir and cook over medium heat.

While the onions are cooking peel and dice the potato. Add it to the pan. Segment the cauliflower into small florets and add it to the pan too. Lastly dice the chicken and add it to the pan. Add salt. Add just a bit of water or chicken stock to come up about halfway on the ingredients. Cover and allow the ingredients to heat up to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to a simmer.

Let the covered pot simmer until the potatoes begin to get tender then remove the lid and adjust seasonings. Maybe add more salt, more garam masala (just a bit). Check the liquid level and adjust by adding more water, stock, or cream or allowing it to cook down. When the ingredients are all tender and the seasoning and consistency is right then you are ready to eat. For me it cooked for about 30 minutes total…20 with the lid on and 10 with it off.

29 February 2008 | beef, fish, poultry, pork, food, gratins, stews, and stir-frys, quick and easy, recipe, rice and other grains, spicy, vegetable | Comments