Due to a recent "debate" in another thread with regards to Garam Masala and this question from unclebuck (which I think was tongue in cheek?)

Quote from: Unclebuck on November 07, 2011, 07:38 AM
whats garam masala?

I asked myself the very same question and have done some research.  So for anybody wishing to experiment with Garam Masala's, there seems to be regional variancies.  Here a a few;

GARAM MASALA RECIPE

Ingredients:
 
3 tblsp grated Coconut (Nariyal)
1 tblsp Sesame seeds (Til)
2 tblsp Mustard seeds (Rai/Sarson)
1/4th tsp Saffron (Kesar) threads
1/4th cup green Pepper corns (Kalimirchi)
1/4th cup White Pepper corns
2/3rd cup Green bruised Cardamom (Elaichi) pods
3/4th cup Cumin Seed (Jeera)
1/4th cup ground Nutmeg (Jaiphal)

How to make garam masala:

Roast all ingredients in a dry pan (preferably non-stick) and heat over a very low fire, shaking the pan time to time.
When the spices give off the fragrance allow to cool slightly.
Then grind finely in an electric grinder.
If electric grinder is not available, grind by hand and press through a fine sieve afterwards.
Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Make sure you always close the lid tightly after use.

GARAM MASALA-MAHARASTRA STYLE RECIPE

Ingredients:
 
4 dried whole Chili pods
2 tblsp Sesame seeds (Til)
11/2 tblsp Green Pepper corns
11/2 tblsp White Pepper corns
1/4th cup whole Cloves (Lavang)
3-4 Cinnamon (Tuj/Dalchini)
22 Black Cardamom pods (Elaichi)
2/3rd cup Cumin Seed (Jeera)
1/4th cup Coriander Seed (Dhania)
2 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
1 tsp ground Ginger (Adrak)
1 tblsp Ground Nutmeg (Jaiphal)

How to make garam masala-maharastra style:

Roast all ingredients in a dry pan (preferably non-stick) and heat over a very low fire, shaking the pan time to time.
When the spices give off the fragrance allow to cool slightly.
Then grind finely in an electric grinder.
If electric grinder is not available, grind by hand and press through a fine sieve afterwards.
Store it in an airtight container for upto 3 months.
Make sure you always close the lid tightly after use.

GARAM MASALA-BENGALI STYLE RECIPE

Ingredients:
 
3-4 dried whole Chili pods
3 tblsp Sesame seeds (Til)
2 tblsp Green Pepper corns
2 tblsp Black Pepper corns
2 tblsp White Pepper corns
1 tblsp whole Cloves (Lavang)
2-3 Cinnamon (Tuj/Dalchini)
20 green bruised Cardamom pods (Elaichi)
1/4th Cumin Seed (Jeera)
3/4th cup Coriander seeds (Dhania)
3 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
1 tsp ground Ginger (Adrak)

How to make garam masala-bengali style:

Roast all ingredients in a dry pan (preferably non-stick) and heat over a very low fire, shaking the pan time to time.
When the spices give off the fragrance allow to cool slightly.
Then grind finely in an electric grinder.
If electric grinder is not available, grind by hand and press through a fine sieve afterwards.
Store it in an airtight container for upto 3 months.
Make sure you always close the lid tightly after use.

GARAM MASALA-PUNJABI STYLE RECIPE

Ingredients:
 
1/2cup Cumin Seed (Jeera)
2 tblsp Coriander seeds (Dhania)
4 sticks Cinnamon (Tuj/Dalchini)
10-12 bruised green Cardamom pods (Elaichi)
4-5 bruised black Cardamom pods (Elaichi)
10 Cloves (Lavang)
1/2 broken Nutmeg (Jaiphal)
3-4 blades of Mace (Javitri)
1 tblsp black Pepper corns (Kalimirchi)
4 whole Star anise (Dagad Phool)
5 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)

How to make garam masala-punjabi style:

Roast all ingredients in a dry pan (preferably non-stick) and heat over a very low fire, shaking the pan time to time.
When the spices give off the fragrance allow to cool slightly.
Then grind finely in an electric grinder.
If electric grinder is not available, grind by hand and press through a fine sieve afterwards.
Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Make sure you always close the lid tightly after use.

GARAM MASALA-UTTAR PRADESH STYLE RECIPE

Ingredients:
 
3 dried whole Chili Pods
2 tblsp Pomegranate seeds
1/8th tsp Saffron (Kesar) threads
5 cloves of Mace (Javitri)
2 tblsp Green Pepper corns
2 tbsp White Pepper corns
2 tblsp whole Cloves (Lavang)
1/3rd cup Cumin Seed (Jeera)
2/3rd cup Coriander seeds (Dhania)
1 tblsp Fennel seeds (Saunf)
2 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
1tblsp Ground Nutmeg (Jaiphal)
2 tblsp Black Pepper corns (Kalimirchi)

How to make garam masala-uttar pradesh style:

Roast all ingredients in a dry pan (preferably non-stick) and heat over a very low fire, shaking the pan time to time.
When the spices give off the fragrance allow to cool slightly.
Then grind finely in an electric grinder.
If electric grinder is not available, grind by hand and press through a fine sieve afterwards.
Store it in an airtight container for upto 3 months.
Make sure you always close the lid tightly after use.

This information was sourced here http://www.indianfoodforever.com/index.html

Enjoy,

Ray

Hi Stephen,

Quote from: Stephen Lindsay on November 07, 2011, 11:32 PM
I also seem to remember it was something that was put into a dish at the end of the cooking period to add a final spiciness to the recipe.

Well, that's my understanding of how it is meant to be used but, I did a bit of research to see how many variables of GM was out there.  What I didn't expect to find, was regional variances though.  One of them even has coconut in it....very strange!

Ray

Quote from: loveitspicy on November 08, 2011, 12:10 AM
we all use it (most of us) in one way or another

Interesting comment LIS. 

I quickly checked through a number of spice mix and curry base recipes on the forum to check this statement.  I was very surprised to see the number of them containing garam masala.  I use it in neither (though I do make it and use it, from time to time, in some of my curry cooking...often towards the end of a slow cooked (beef or lamb) curry or to "pep up" an otherwise bland tasting curry.

I cannot recall anyone ever saying they'd actually seen it being used in a BIR (whether in their spice mix, curry base or in the cooking of their final curries)?

i recently stopped using mixed powder in my curries and use a tsp of garamasala instead and put it in at the start of the dish. \you don't get that raw, clove taste as teh rawness cooks out.... I feel it has improved my curries.  I'm missing the final 1% for the specific taste I'm chasing (beefy savory flavour).... \i wonder if a home made garamasala would do the trick...maybe even Jalpur.

been doing this now for 25 bloody years and my curries have been getting worse over the years... I deserve a breakthrough :-)

Quote from: Razor on January 15, 2012, 01:34 PM
As for the "Chef's Special Garam Masala", I read that as nothing more than the chef's own GM recipe, and nothing really special at all..!

As I said in the previous thread - at what point does a Garam Masala stop being a Garam Masala and actually becomes something else?

I believe the use of the term Garam Masala is becoming blurred almost to the point that no-one really understands what Garam Masala is any more or when or how it should be used.

In traditional Indian cookery, Garam Masala contained the four principal spices responsible for producing 'body heat' namely Black Peppercorns, Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamon, hence the name Garam (heat) and Masala (spice mix). This was added in small quantities at the end of cooking to add aroma and fragrance to the finished dish. This was after the principal spicing of the dish had already been cooked into it at the beginning using the usual spices found in Indian cuisine - turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, chilli etc.

Yet now we see spice mixes that purport to be Garam Masala that may or may not contain any of the principal ingredients and more often than not will contain large quantities of the cheaper ingredients such as coriander, cumin, paprika and so on that should be used at the start of the cooking process - not at the end. I even saw a Garam Masala in Tescos that didn't contain any of the four main principal ingredients of traditional Garam Masala.

Now we're starting to see the term Chef's Special Garam Masala being used, so the question is, what is a Chef's Special Garam Masala, what spice components does it contain and how is it being used?