When you are cooking a Indian style meat curry, you like to use homemade spices, you have some free time and feel like a small workout then why not make this Garam Masala.

Garam masala is practically used in every curry that involves cooking with meat, basically lamb, chicken, goat, fish, crab, shrimp, etc in it and even go tastes delicious in vegetarian dishes as well! The combination of this spice blend brings out the flavor of the meat and its perfectly adds zing of flavor to the dish!

Garam Masala

Ingredients

• 1 lb whole coriander seeds
• 1/2 lbs whole cumin
• 4 oz black pepper
• 4 oz cinnamon bark
• 4 oz whole cloves
• 4 oz anise flower
• 4 oz whole nutmeg (~20)
• 2 oz javentri (outer covering of nutmeg nut)

Method

1. Mix coriander and cumin in a large mixing bowl and set out to dry in the sun for 1-2 days
2. Mix cinnamon bark, cloves, anise flower; also set out in the sun to dry for 1-2 days
3. Using a large, heavy steel mortar and pestle smash the nutmeg until crumbly; set aside in a large mixing bowl
4. Using the same mortar and pestle roughly mash the cinnamon bark, cloves, anise flower, mix and add to the large mixing bowl
5. In a tava (convex frying pan) warm coriander and cumin mixture, warm until fragrant, and mix with the other roughly mashed spices
6. In a spice grinder, grind handful of spices at a time until it grinds into a powder; fill grinder according to size of grinding cup
7. Sift through a medium sifter and regrind remaining masala mix
8. Repeat 6-7 until all spices are ground and sifted; mix through the masala until incorporated well
9. Store in an air tight container for 1 year taking out a small amount for daily use.
10. Enjoy in meat curries!