Topic: jalpur garam masala

[George]

Only difference being the cardamom, one black the other green, or a typing error

You haven't mentioned 'green cardamon' (under Natco) unless it's your typing error!

When the single word 'Cardamon' is used, I assume it could be green, black or some other colour; it's just they're not telling you. So my guess is that Natco could very well be using black cardamon.

That's understandable for spice packs. Why should they give away any more secrets than required by law? Within recipes, though, it irritates me when careless authors just mention 'cardamon' without saying which type. There are too many careless authors around.

[Les]

Hi Les

I take it that you have written the spices in the same order that they appeard on the packaging?

Ray

Yes Ray, I have

George.
It just say's Cardamom on the packet, I just assumed that it could be green as they didn't specify "Black"
but you could well be right ;D

Les

PS
their web site just say's Cardamom as well

http://www.natco-online.com/acatalog/garam_masala.html

[Peripatetic Phil]

I would assume that generic "cardamom" would be green cardamon, whilst black cardamom would be explicitly glossed, just as I would assume that "jeera" or "cumin" would be white cumin whilst "kala jeera" / "black cumin" would be stated explicitly.

** Phil.

[Whandsy]

I have just bought a box of this from Ashton Sweet Mart nr Manchester, must be popular as only had 1 box left on the shelf and Jalpur had a few other spices on the shelf as well. Maybe a load of cr0 members been stocking up haha

[Razor]

Maybe a load of cr0 members been stocking up haha

I think that it is just me and you Wayne from this neck of the woods.  Thanks for saving me a journey to ASM though, seeing as though you've got the last one

Ray

[Whandsy]

Maybe a load of cr0 members been stocking up haha

I think that it is just me and you Wayne from this neck of the woods.  Thanks for saving me a journey to ASM though, seeing as though you've got the last one

Ray

There was one left after I'd got mine pal, to be fair it's the 1st time I've been to that one and was like a kid in a sweet shop, it's a big place and there'd probably be more in that warehouse at the back

[Razor]

it's the 1st time I've been to that one and was like a kid in a sweet shop, it's a big place and there'd probably be more in that warehouse at the back

Yeah, it's a good un.  I've never failed to get what I want from there with the exception of Asian bay leaf.  You should have popped into their cafe next door, Lily's.  It's supposed to be some of the best vegetarian Indian food in Tameside (not that I know of anywhere else )

Ray

[spiceyokooko]

Black pepper, Cinnamon,Cloves,Black Cardomons,Star Aniseed,Coriander, Cummin,Red chilli, Mixed spices.

The first four ingredients are standard components of traditional Garam Masala and should constitute the bulk of the ingredients in a good one. My take on the Black as opposed to Green Cardamon is one of cost alone - Green Cardamons are more expensive than Black which have a more earthy less refined aroma and flavour and consequently lower cost. The remaining ingredients I'd suspect are in much smaller quantities than the first four. I'd guess that the 'mixed spices' consists of small quantities of Fenugreek, Mace, Nutmeg etc.

Interesting to compare against the other brands of Garam Masala such as Rajah and Natco that list Coriander as the largest proportional ingredient, which is uncoincidentally a much cheaper ingredient than any of the traditional Garam Masala ingredients of Black Peppercorns, Cinnamon, Cloves or Cardamons.

The only conclusion you can draw from this is that the Jalpur GM is a much higher quality one than either Rajah or Natco that basically just use large quantities of cheaper ingredients and lower quantities of the more expensive ones.

[George]

I would assume that generic "cardamom" would be green cardamon, whilst black cardamom would be explicitly glossed, just as I would assume that "jeera" or "cumin" would be white cumin whilst "kala jeera" / "black cumin" would be stated explicitly.

In many cases you may be right. In other cases, you might make an unsafe assumption in my opinion.

Here's another one - if a recipe states to use 1 tsp, 1 dsp and 1 tbls of three ingredients and says nothing else, would you assume that's 5ml, 10ml and 15ml respectively?

[Razor]

Interesting to compare against the other brands of Garam Masala such as Rajah and Natco that list Coriander as the largest proportional ingredient, which is uncoincidentally a much cheaper ingredient than any of the traditional Garam Masala ingredients of Black Peppercorns, Cinnamon, Cloves or Cardamons.

The only conclusion you can draw from this is that the Jalpur GM is a much higher quality one than either Rajah or Natco that basically just use large quantities of cheaper ingredients and lower quantities of the more expensive ones.

Yes, I'd agree, assuming that coffee has written the Jalpur GM ingredients in the exact order that they appear on the packaging...?

Ray