Garam masala

Garam masala

What it is

Garam means hot in the Ayurvedic sense of warming the body, not in the sense of chilli — a classical garam masala contains none at all. Nor is there a fixed recipe: the proportions belong to the household, and most families grind only a few weeks’ worth at a time because the ground blend goes flat fast.

In the kitchen

Add it in the last two minutes, or off the heat entirely, at half a teaspoon for four people. Cooked from the start, its volatile oils are gone before the dish reaches the table.

Goes with

Onion Tomato Ginger Yogurt Lamb Cream Chickpeas Cilantro / Coriander

Also used with

Anardana Dried fenugreek leaves Jackfruit Kashmiri chilli

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