Garam masala

Used in 9 recipes on RecipeWiki.

Garam masala is a blend of warming spices from North Indian cooking, and recipes for it vary from family to family; common elements include cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and sometimes nutmeg or mace. Garam means warm or hot, though the blend is aromatic rather than fiery. Unlike most ground spices, it is often added near the end of cooking or sprinkled over a finished dish so its fragrance stays fresh, a habit seen in dishes such as Chana Masala and Saag Paneer. Ground blends lose their perfume within months; buy small amounts or toast and grind your own. Store it airtight, away from light and the heat of the hob.

What else can I make with it?

Most often cooked with

Recipes with garam masala

Butter Chicken shot from directly overhead, a true flat lay

Butter Chicken

Tandoori-marinated chicken grilled hard, then finished in a sieved tomato and butter gravy emulsified off the heat so it stays satin rather than splitting.

5 hr 50 minServes 4

ChickenCurriesDinner

Chana Masala — shot from directly overhead: chickpeas simmered in a dark

Chana Masala

Chickpeas simmered in a dark, sour tomato and onion masala, finished with amchur so the sourness sits behind the spice rather than on top of it.

CurriesIndianLunch

Chicken Korma shot from directly overhead, a true flat lay

Chicken Korma

Bone-in chicken braised slowly in yogurt over deeply fried onions and cashew cream, pale and savoury rather than sweet, with no tomato and no sugar.

1 hr 55 minServes 4

ChickenCurriesDinner

Chicken Tikka Masala — shot from directly overhead: yogurt-marinated chicken charred hard under a grill

Chicken Tikka Masala

Yogurt-marinated chicken charred hard under a grill, then finished in a spiced tomato and cream sauce that only works if the char goes in with it.

ChickenCurriesDinner

Egg Curry — shot from directly overhead: hard-boiled eggs

Egg Curry

Hard-boiled eggs, scored and browned in spice, simmered in an onion and tomato masala.

30 minutesCurriesIndian

Lamb Rogan Josh — shot from directly overhead: lamb shoulder browned hard then cooked for two hours in yogurt and Kashmiri chilli

Lamb Rogan Josh

Lamb shoulder browned hard then cooked for two hours in yogurt and Kashmiri chilli, until the sauce is red, glossy and clinging rather than soupy.

2 hr 40 minServes 6

CurriesDinnerIndian

Malai Kofta — shot from directly overhead: potato and paneer dumplings fried until crisp

Malai Kofta

Potato and paneer dumplings fried until crisp, sitting in a mild cashew and tomato sauce enriched with cream.

1 hr 20 minServes 4

CurriesIndianPotatoes

Saag Paneer — shot from directly overhead: spinach cooked down to a dark

Saag Paneer

Spinach cooked down to a dark, silky base with ginger and green chilli, with cubes of fried paneer folded through at the end.

30 minutesCheeseCurries

Slow-Cooked Black Dal — shot from directly overhead: whole urad soaked overnight and simmered for hours until it turns black and glossy

Slow-Cooked Black Dal

Whole urad soaked overnight and simmered for hours until it turns black and glossy, then finished with butter and a little cream.

15 hr 50 minServes 6

IndianMain coursesTomatoes