Punjabi Garam Masala

Over the years, I have made huge quantities of this spice blend. It is great for meat, chicken, seafood and so many other preparations. It is much better to make your own then to buy the spice blend in an Indian market. The quality of the spices and the toasting will make a classic blend that any East Indian would appreciate.

This makes a large amount, you can half or even quarter the recipe if you like.

40 black cardamom pods, seeds removed and shells tossed
6 sticks of whole cinnamon crushed with a rolling pin
2 tablespoons of whole cloves
1/2 cup of black peppercorns
1 cup of cumin seeds
1 cup of coriander seeds

I roast the spices in a large frying pan over medium high heat. You do not add any oil to the pan the spices are dry roasted. You must stir and shake the pan all the time to get a even roasting. Do not walk away from the pan or the spices will burn. The spices will begin to smoke and release a wonderful warm fragrance in the cool fall weather. This will take about 7 to 8 minutes depending on how hot your stove runs. The important thing is that the spices are dark brown and smoking. You do not want them to burn. Remove from the heat and place in another pan to cool.

Then simply grind the cooled spices with a spice grinder until they are a fine powder. Store in a air tight container and in a cool dark place.