Recipe: Garam Masala

There are hundreds of Garam Masala recipes on the internet and in books. Like most cultures, there is a certain thing that every family has their own recipe for. This is one of those. It's the basic flavoring in Indian cuisine. It literally means warming spice.

This is the recipe that I use, but remember, this merely a guideline. Try it, and once you master this basic one you can start adding yourself into it and make it just they way you like it.

• 4 tbsps coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 ½ tsps black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
• 1 ½ tsps dry ginger
• ¾ tsp black cardamom (3-4 large pods approx)
• ¾ tsp cloves
• ¾ tsp cinnamon (2 X 1” pieces)
• ¾ tsp crushed bay leaves