Mom’s Garam Masala – A Family Recipe

I cannot believe that I am finally writing an actual post about this amazingly aromatic, out-of-the-world Mom’s garam masala recipe! This is a family recipe that is being used for generations and this is my attempt to preserve some of the family traditions as a legacy.

As mentioned in my simple garam masala recipe, every family has their own version of garam masala and I couldn’t be happier to finally share the one from my family! In many maharashtrian families this kind of masala is also referred to as ‘Goda masala’. My mom uses this garam masala to make the authentic and delicious recipes like chicken curry, stuffed eggplant or black eyed peas curry, just to name a few!

This summer when my Mom visited me, I had asked her to bring all of the whole-spices that she uses to make her garam masala. She was thrilled to bring them, together we had a great time exploring and comprehending each spice. These also were some of the most treasured moments for the mother-daughter duo, recollecting family anecdotes from generations past.

With my mom’s help I was able to map the marathi spice names to the english ones; with the hope of passing this down as one of the legacies for my children and my extended family.

My mom slow-roasted each individual spice in a small pan, with a little bit of oil. Roasting helps get rid of any moisture in the spices making it easier to grind.  As she continued to roast, a nostalgic warm-earthy-sweet-peppery aroma filled my kitchen! It emotionally transported me not only to my childhood memories of my mom’s cooking but also to my grandma’s kitchen who I was lucky to have spent a great deal of time cooking with.

We allowed these roasted spices to completely cool before grinding them to a fine powder in the spice grinder. After grinding, we sifted the spice blend and ran the larger grainy spices through the grinder again. This ensured that the spices were evenly ground.

List of the spices used in making mom’s homemade garam masala:

• asafetida {hing} – used as a digestive aid, asafetida has a strong odor that mellows out into a garlic-onion flavor
• bay leaves {tamal patra} – aromatic bay leaves with impressive health benefits which includes detoxifying the body
• black pepper {miri} – hot pungent spice, black pepper helps improve stomach’s ability to digest foods and promotes intestinal health
• black cardamom {badi velchi} – often referred to as queen of spices, black cardamom gives a smoky flavor to curries
• cardamom {velchi} – sweet and invigorating spice, green cardamom adds a fresh flavor to many recipes
• cumin seeds {jeera} – with it’s earthy, musky flavor; cumin seeds is one of the most popular spice
• black cumin seeds {shah jeera} – slightly bitter than cumin seeds; black cumin seeds are a rich source of dietary fibre
• cinnamon {daalchini} – sweet-spicy flavored cinnamon sticks enhance the flavors in many dishes
• cloves {lavang} – with a distinct and undeniable warmth, cloves are one of the most powerful spices with intense flavors
• coriander seeds {dhana} – Citrusy flavored coriander seeds add warm and nutty flavors
• dried red chilies {lal mirchi} – with a rich earthy flavor, chilies add perfect heat and color to foods
• fennel seeds {badishep} – lightly sweet and licorice flavored, fennel seeds are a good digestion aid
• fenugreek seeds {methi} – bitter tasting fenugreek seeds help control diabetes and have diverse benefits for skin, hair, and health
• mace {jaipatri} – mace is the outer covering of nutmeg that adds subtle and delicate flavors
• nutmeg {jaiphal} – sweet and pungent nutmeg adds a warm note to savory dishes
• poppy seeds {khuskhus} – adds nutty flavors and khuskhus is also a good source of minerals
• star anise {badyaan} – star anise adds a sweet-licorice flavor to curries
• stone flower {dagadphool} – with a strong earthy aroma this anti-inflammatory kalpasi spice is also dominant in South Indian Chettinad cuisine
• turmeric {halkund} – with a mild woody flavor, turmeric is a super food with its  natural anti-inflammatory properties

If you enjoy cooking, you have to try making homemade spice blends that will elevate the flavors of any dish you make. You will be blown away with the taste as well as the quality if you compare them to the store bought spices. From my easy 5-ingredient garam masala to the homemade chana masala recipe, learn more about different spices and spice mixes in this cooking 101 guide.

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4.6 from 22 votes

Mom's Garam Masala

A family recipe of a a complex spice blend that used in traditional Indian home cooking using nineteen aromatic and warm spices. 

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Spice Blend

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: garam masala

Servings: 12 oz

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoon oil
• 5 pieces -whole turmeric - halkund
• 1/2 nutmeg - jaiphal
• 1 tablespoon asafetida - hing
• 5 cinnamon sticks - daalchini
• 3 tablespoon cloves - lavang
• 1.5 tablespoon black cumin seeds - shah jeera
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds - jeera
• 10 - black cardamom - bad velchi
• 1 tablespoon cardamom - velchi
• 3 tablespoon kalpasi - dagadphool stone flower
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds - badishep
• 2 tablespoon Mace - jaipatri
• 3 tablespoon black pepper - mire
• 10 star anise - badyan
• 8 bay leaves - tamal patra
• 2 tablespoon coriander seeds - dhane
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds - methya
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds - khuskhus
• 25 - dried red chillies - mirchi

Instructions

• Add 1/2 tsp of oil at a time and slow roast each spice until it releases the aroma and is hot to touch. Allow all the roasted spiced to cool on a large tray.
• Grind the roasted spices in batches to make a fine powder.
• Sift the ground spice blend and grind any coarse spices.
• Store in an airtight glass jar.

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