Garam means “heating” and masala means “spice blend”. Garam masala is a warming spice mix – in Ayurveda, the word ‘warming’ refers to the ‘heating properties’ of the ingredients.
Garam Masala is a very simple spice to make, you can toast the spices on the back burner while you prepare the vegetables for the dish you are going to make. When you grind the spices, the most delicious aromas fill your kitchen and puts you into a state of blissful contentment. And that is a good place to start when cooking!
Food Preparation
In yogic philosophy, the cook who prepares the meal is very much honoured. The mindset of the cook deeply affects the food. It is important for the person preparing the food to maintain a calm and quiet demeanour, thinking about divine subjects is also highly beneficial while preparing food. If the cook is a seeker of Truth, holding the thought that her efforts to prepare the meal will support aspirants will have a positive effect to those who eat it.
~ The Sacred Tradition of Yoga – Dr Shankaranarayana Jois.
garam masala
Recipe inspired by ‘The Vegetarian Table’ by Yamuna Devi.
If you have ajwain seeds add ½ tsp to the recipe below. Grind your own cardamom as the taste is so much more fragrant, fresher and more intense. An easy way to do this is to place 3 tablespoons of cardamom pods in a high-speed blender or coffee grinder, and roughly grind. Use a strainer to sift the ground pods, discard the shells and grind the bigger chunks again to a finer powder. Make in small batches, as the spices can lose some of their flavours after just a couple of months, which can change the flavour and balance of the whole blend. When using garam masala it is best to add at the end of cooking.
Makes about ⅔ cup
ingredients
½ cup/35g coriander seeds
3 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cardamom seeds
10 whole cloves
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2-inch piece cinnamon stick (roughly broken up)
preparation
1. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add all the ingredients except the cardamom (as roasting it destroys the ‘sweetness’ in the seeds) and dry toast the spices, stirring occasionally until they darken slightly – about 10 – 15 minutes.
2. Transfer the spices to a bowl, allow to cool completely, when cool place in a coffee grinder or blender, add in the cardamom seeds and grind to a powder.
3. Sift through, discarding the roughage – depending on how powerful your grinder is.
Use while fresh or store in an airtight container for up to a month. I use garam masala in this gingerbread spice cake and fruit cake in replace of the all-spice, in this tofu curry or in these vegetable samosas.
Goodness shared by Stacey
