Garam masala recipe

I kind of like Suvir Saran's recipe. It uses a few more ingredients, including optional miniature rosebuds, which gives it a floral undertone.

To avoid burning seeds, first heat the skillet scorching hot, as you would for searing meat. Take it off the heat, add the seeds, and keep shaking the pan until they release their aroma and start turning color. Immediately transfer to a bowl to cool.

Please could you point me in the right direction to find Souvir Saran's recipe, as I love the spices and have a good stock of dried roses for culinary use, thank you.

You can find the recipe in American Masala, which is a great cookbook on several levels.

Suvir, who happens to be a cheftalk member, owns the only non-Japanese Asian restaurant in New York to ever earn a Michlelin star---which gives you some idea of the quality of his food.

Here's his recipe:

Garam Masala

1 tbls dried miniature rosebuds (optional)

A 1-inch piece cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup cumin seeds

1/3 cup coriander seeds

1 tbls green cardamom pods

1 tbls whole black pepercorns

2 tsp whole cloves

1 dried red chile

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground mace

If the roses have stems, break them off and discard. Heat the roses with the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, whole peppercorns, cloves and chile in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the cumin becomes bvrown, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder or coffee mill, add the nutmeg and mace, and grind until powder fine. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.

KYHeirloomer,  What a wonderful combination of spices, thank you so much, I look forward to grinding this together soon,   I found a recipe for G M. on the internet, but  it only contained 4 or 5 ingredients, this is much more like it!   thanks to you and of course Souvir  

Neculae,  thankyou for your recipe, with regard to using as a rub for chicken or beef, would you leave this in a refridgerator overnight as you would a marinade, or use just before cooking? I am wondeering if left overnight, it could overpower  the chicken's delicate flavour, would it  depend on whether or not the skin is left on the chicken?    Many thanks. 

I found a recipe for G M. on the internet........,

Garam Masala is like Herbs du Provence, Seaside. There are hundreds of individual variations. And every single one of them is right!

Essentially, you find the combination of basic herbs & spices that suits, and that becomes the best garam masala for you.

Garam Masala.

There are different types of Garam Masala used in Indian Cuisine like for meat preperations, for Dum Pukht,Avadh,Punjabi cuisines etc.

Here's a recepie ideally sited for meats.

Appr.Yield: 450 grams or 1 lb.

200 grams: Cumin seeds.

75 grams: Black Cardamom Seeds.

75 grams: Black Pepper Corns.

45 grams: Green Cardamom Seeds.

30 grams: Fennel Seeds.

20 grams: Cloves.

20-1" sticks of Cinnamon

20 grams Mace

20 grams: Black Cumin Seeds.

15 grams: Bay Leaves.

15 grams: Dry Rose Petals.

15 Grams: Ginger Powder.

3 nos Nutmegs.

Put all the ingredients except ginger powder, in a mortar and pound with pestal to make a fine powder. Transfer inta a clean bowl,add ginger powder and mix well. Sieve and store in a sterlised,dry air tight container.