Oh no! What is that smell?! Around the age of 7, I was introduced to a world of smells and flavors I had never known and would never forget. Initially my reaction was turning my nose up (or plugging it). There was a family down my street past the culdesac in a large white house with black trim windows in which we used to visit on occasion. To this day the foreign smells of what I would have described then as old, musty and chalky were in fact a bouquet of fresh ground spices, herbs and citrus. As I took deep breaths, my lungs would be enveloped in a colorful cloud of warmth, my mouth would water, my stomach hungered.
The home was brimming with the aromatics of ingredients used to make dishes from India.
I now have a handful of Indian cookbooks, but the first cookbook I made any type of Indian fare was from was a recipe for Garam Masala out of Joy of Cooking. I know, right? I had to learn somewhere.
I share my passion for food and the love of cooking with family, friends and strangers the like. My family and friends have become my students and my guinea pigs and strangers have become pupils, friends and guinea pigs. Ha Ha!
On that note, I was given the opportunity to hang out with a friend of mine for an afternoon and she had asked if I knew how to make any Indian food…we began with Garam Masala and ended up with lunch, laughter and another date. Thank you my friend for making me smile, laugh, allowing me to educate, be educated and remember what life is all about. Family, friends and good food.
Garam Masala (Garam = Hot and Masala = Mixture of Spices) and the term “hot” is not indicative of spicy hot or heat, but rather warmth of the body as certain spices and herbs are consumed. Tridosha, a Hindu teaching that some foods are warming and some are cooling.
The traditional spice mixture for Garam Masala varies, but what I have come to utilize and what has worked for me is a combination of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorn, cumin, fennel, star anise and nutmeg. Other variations may include mace (from the same fruit as nutmeg, but fruitier), and bay leaves. All of which begin as whole spices and are ground to a fine powder.
Find the recipe for Garam Masala here.
Enjoy! Leave a comment if you have a recipe to share that works for you.