After a quick tour o’ da Google, it is my understanding that Garam Masala is, or can be, different things to different people. Aarti, over at Food Network, shares my disdain for cumin and coriander, preferring her own blend rich in cardamom, clove, and cinnamon.
I opted to create my own blend from what I had in my spice racks, and am pretty pleased with the result, but, if you see something here you don’t particularly care for, feel free to search out a substitute.
That’s the whole point of making it yourself; to paraphrase Julia Child: “you are the boss of that spice blend!”
INGREDIENTS
•1 tbsp ground cumin
•1 tsp dried basil
•1 tsp dried parsley
•1-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
•1 tsp ground cinnamon
•1 tsp ground cloves
•1 tsp ground nutmeg
•1/2 tsp curry powder
•1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, then transfer to a tightly covered jar or other container and stash with your spices.
That’s it, garam masala, made my way and, to me, better!
This recipe makes about 1/4 cup of custom tasty spice blend, so you’ll have plenty to play around with.
My current favorite use, and the reason I went searching for a recipe in the first place, is in tomato chutney; a combination of tomatoes, onion, garlic, the garam masala, and a few other fairly simple ingredients. I featured the recipe for a small batch last week, and liked it so much, I went out and adjusted the recipe to make more, and a wee, tiny bit spicier, chutney.
Check out that recipe in tomorrow’s Parfait! post.