Garam Masala

It seems like the Garam Masala has finally found its own space outside India. I just came across the following article in the New York Times.

Garam Masala: Many Recipes, and Even More Uses

By DAVID TANIS

Garam masala, a warm and pungent spice mixture with a lot of fragrance, makes its way into many an Indian dish, but everyone makes it a little differently.

Most people agree it must have cardamom, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Some cooks add fennel seed, coriander, mace and bay. Others warn of commercial mixtures that contain inferior, cheaper spices, and advise making your own. Some toast the spices lightly before grinding, and some do not.

It’s true that every little bottle of garam masala that I have bought has been a variation on a theme. For this week’s recipe, I whizzed up a batch in an electric coffee mill using 1 tablespoon green cardamom, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon cumin seed, 1 teaspoon cloves, a 2-inch stick of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg. It yielded a nice little jar of the stuff, more than you would imagine, enough to last me a month or so.

What to do with it? A thousand and one things, even if you’re not cooking authentic Indian fare. Great on a duck breast, a pork chop, or added to a stew. Superb with mushrooms, as I learned from my friend Niloufer Ichaporia King, the author of “My Bombay Kitchen,” a highly recommended cookbook. This week in City Kitchen, garam masala is featured in an otherwise traditional French bistro salad. The result is stunning, especially if you happen to love chicken liver.