Degchi
Garam masala
Also written: warming spice blend
- Urduگرم مصالحہ
- Hindiगरम मसाला
- Banglaগরম মসলা
- Arabicغارام ماسالا
Garam masala is a blend of ground spices, added near the end of cooking. Garam means warm, not chilli-hot: the blend is about aroma rather than burn.
There is no single formula. Most mixes lean on some of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, and each family, brand and region tilts it differently. Some are sweeter and more floral, others sharper with pepper. If you buy one, expect small differences from one packet to the next and judge by smell.
Why late? The volatile aroma fades with long cooking, so a pinch near the end gives a stronger impression than a spoonful stirred in at the start. Our Slow-Roasted Mutton Curry, for example, adds it with the tomato and yogurt so it cooks into the masala; if a recipe holds some back for the end, that last pinch is the one you will smell.
Start small, stir it in, taste, then decide. A teaspoon is plenty for a pot that feeds four, and you can always add more. Store the jar tightly closed away from the stove, since heat and steam dull it, and replace it when it smells faint rather than warm.
Recipes that use it
34 of our 247 recipes call for garam masala. Here are a few to start with.
- Slow-Roasted Mutton Curry
- Potato and Spinach Curry
- Bihari Boti
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Haleem
- Creamy Chicken Curry
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