Garam Masala is a Fusion of Wonder Spices

It is just a single spice that makes a garam masala. Garam Masala is a combination of a large number of spices. In short, just anything goes as long as it makes a perfect recipe. As the name suggests (In Hindi Garam=hot) the spice blend is hot and tangy. Although the name suggests heat, the masala blend can be created mild with an emphasis on flavor and aroma. It is a king of all spices and goes down very well with almost all types of curries, dry vegetables, or sukhi sabzi. It is also used in Indian snack preparation except for sweets it goes well with almost all recipes within the parameter of Indian cuisine.

The blend is popular in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The blend is subject to many variations and can contain few spices to almost all spices used in Indian cooking. A typical garam masala blend can contain:

• Jeera
• Coriander Powder
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Fennel
• Bay Leaves
• Black Pepper
• White pepper
• Cinnamon
• Mace
• Black
• Green cardamom pods
• Red chili powder (lāl mirch)

This is not the end of it the spices mixed can range long as many as 32 spices can be blended to create garam masala. The blend could contain herbs, and rarely used spices like star anise, asafoetida, stone powder, and cubeb.

The blend may contain any amount of masala variety but it is the chef behind that produces matters. Or it is the gastronomic expert that matters many housewives are good at making this unique blend. Master chefs believe in creating their blends. They create varied blends depending on what taste and aroma they want the masala to deliver. In short, blending masalas is an art, and this comes with practice and experience.

There are many ready-made garam masalas available in the market. But among the plethora of powdered blends, many are fake or of poor quality hence consumers are searching for alternatives. It is difficult to judge the quality and freshness of powdered spices in the packet. This applies to instant ready-made premixed spices.

Living Beyond a spice company based in Mumbai sells whole spices recipe mixes. The company also sells premium garam masala made in its factory. The unique aspect of the product is that the mix of whole spices can be authenticated and is freshly packed.

Uday writes often on Indian wildlife especially about the tigers. He works as a naturalist and is fond of travel. Uday also provides search engine optimization service and website contents in English.