Garam masala

Garam masala is a blend of ground spices from North Indian cooking. The name means "warm spice mix". There is no single recipe, but most blends contain cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper, often with nutmeg, mace or bay leaf. It smells warm and sweet. It is not hot like chili and it does not contain turmeric, so it does not turn food yellow.

How to use it

• Stir it into a curry or dal in the last few minutes of cooking, or sprinkle it over just before serving. The aroma fades with long cooking, which is why recipes add it late.
• Mix it into marinades for chicken tikka, kebabs and roasted vegetables.
• Add a pinch to lentil soups, roast potatoes or spiced nuts.

About 1 teaspoon is enough for a dish serving four. Some recipes also add a little at the start for depth and more at the end for aroma.

Substitutes

To make your own, toast 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, seeds from 8 green cardamom pods, 6 cloves and a 5 cm (2 inch) piece of cinnamon in a dry pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Cool, then grind finely. Freshly made garam masala is much stronger than bought, so use less.

If you have none, curry powder is the nearest thing on most shelves. Use about half as much, and expect a yellower color and a different taste from the turmeric and fenugreek in it. A mix of ground cumin and cinnamon with a pinch of cloves also works.

How to store it

Keep it in a closed jar in a dark cupboard. Ground spice blends lose their scent within a few months. Whole spices keep longer, so you can grind small batches as needed.

In recipes

Recipes from different families and regions use different blends, so two garam masalas can taste quite unlike each other. Use the one you have and adjust by taste. It is related to ras el hanout from North Africa, which is another warm blend built on similar spices.