Garam masala is a combination of many spices and it’s an integral part of North Indian cooking. There are many variations of Garam masala. Here is one combination that my family uses.

Get together these

First lightly dry roast cumin for 3 – 4 minutes on medium-low heat.

Turn off heat and add rest of the ingredients in the pan. This will help rid of any moisture the spices may have.

Leave them for a few minutes to cool down completely. Crush cinnamon sticks and peel off black cardamoms as their skin is very hard. Grind them in coffee grinder or dry grinder of magic bullet. Store in an airtight container.

Garam masala Ingredients: this will yield about 3/4 cup

2 Tbsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. green cardamoms

1/2 to 1 Tbsp. black cardamoms (slightly crush them for easier peeling off the hard skin)

1 Tbsp. black pepper corn

1 Tbsp. cloves

5 Cinnamon sticks (about 3 inch long)

1 nutmeg

4 – 5 bay leaves

Lightly dry roast cumin for 3 – 4 minutes on medium-low heat. Turn off the heat. Add rest of the ingredients while pan is still hot. Leave them for a few minutes. Once cooled down, crush cinnamon sticks. Slightly crush black cardamoms for easier peeling. Discard the hard skin. Grind all ingredients in a coffee grinder or a dry grinder. Store in an airtight container.

Note: This homemade Garam masala is very strong. Use 1/4 of the quantity in any recipes you find in other places who may be using store bought Garam masala which is not as strong. You can always add more if needed.