A storehouse of flavors is what Garam Masalas are! Though there are multiple tastes and varieties of flavors that one craves, so are the several types of Garam Masalas. Indeed, depending on the type, these Garam Masalas can both make the dish flavorful or unpleasant.
With different flavors and purposes, Garam Masalas not only gives aromatic delight to the dish but also assists in boosting immunity. Additionally, these Garam Masalas vary from person to person and region to region.
Yet with the difference, Garam Masalas have the same base of creation that often includes green cardamom, black cardamom, dried fenugreek leaves, fennel, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, caraway seeds, cloves, coriander seeds, and bay leaf.
Five Types of Garam Masalas Recipes
As you can expect, there are hundreds of types of Garam Masalas, whereas each depends on how one likes its taste. However, we will talk about the top five best Garam Masalas we can create with rich flavors.
With it, it is to keep in mind that there is no standard recipe for preparing one perfect Garam Masala since it is all about one’s taste and desire for flavors in their dish.
Type 1
This Garam Masala is rich in coriander, cloves, cumin, fennel, dried fenugreek leaves, cardamom, and cinnamon bark whereas aromatic.
Ingredients:
- Coriander seeds (1 tbsp)
- Cumin (2 tbsp)
- Peppercorns (1 tbsp)
- Cinnamon (3 sticks)
- Mace (4 nos)
- Black cardamom (3 pods)
- Green cardamom (2 tbsp)
- Fennel (1 tbsp)
- Cloves (2 tbsp)
- Bay leaves (3 nos)
Instruction:
Step 1: In a low flame, roast coriander seeds with cumin but before you set it aside, make sure it has got aromatic.
Step 2: After that, roast all the other ingredients similarly until it turns aromatic.
Step 3: Set it all aside and let it cool for a while.
Step 4: Then, blend them all in a coarse powder before you store them in an airtight container.
While you grind the roasted ingredients, a traditional mortar is better than a grinder. This is because the slower you grind them all, the lesser nutrients these ingredients will lose.
Type 2
This Garam Masala is known for the best values and flavors it creates with meat dishes. They give not only the aromatic punch but also add spice to the dish and do not discolor the dish.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves (3 nos)
- Coriander seeds (4 tbsp)
- Cumin seeds (2 tbsp)
- Fennel seeds (2 tbsp)
- Star anise (2 nos)
- Dry red chilies (4-6 pieces as per taste)
- Mace (1 tbsp)
- Black cardamom pods (4 pieces)
- Sticks cinnamon (2 pieces)
- Green cardamom pods (12 pieces)
- Black pepper (1 tsp)
- Turmeric powder (½ tsp)
- Cloves (1 tsp)
- Nutmeg powder (1 tsp)
Instructions:
Step 1: Roast all the ingredients (except nutmeg powder) on low heat.
Step 2 After the ingredient is thoroughly roasted, let them cool for a bit.
Step 3: Grind them all together and store them in an airtight container.
Type 3
It is similar to the Garam Masala we prepared above, but we add red dried chilies and more other ingredients to prepare this one. It is more vibrant and delightful because it contains about 1 different spice.
Ingredients:
- Sticks cinnamon (4 pieces)
- Black cumin seeds (4 tbsp)
- Bay leaves (3 nos)
- Green cardamom (2 tbsp)
- Black peppercorns (4 tbsp)
- Cloves ( 1/2 tbsp)
- Kashmiri red chilly (optional, as per spice level desired
- Fennel seeds (1 tbsp )
- Mace ( 1 tsp )
- Nutmeg (½ tsp)
Instructions:
Step1: In medium heat, dry roast all the ingredients for about 6 to 8 minutes so that they can be aromatic.
Step 2: When their aroma rises, collect them all and let them all cool down.
Step 3: Then, grind them all together to make a fine powder before you store it in an airtight container.
Here, the Kashmiri red chilies are added per one’s taste and description of flavors which in term gives color to the dishes as well as mild hotness. As a fun fact, people often mistake that the Kashmiri red chilies are added for spicing up their dish, but it has more to do with its color rather than the spice level.
Type 4
These Garam Masalas are usually created to add bold flavors to the dish in order to go awesomely well with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
Ingredients:
- Desiccated coconut (4 tbsp)
- White sesame (2 tbsp)
- Cumin seeds (2 tbsp)
- Sticks cinnamon (2 pieces)
- Dry red chilies (6 pieces)
- Rock flower (1 tbsp)
- Cardamom (½ tbsp)
- Peppercorns (½ tbsp)
- Bay leaves (4 nos)
- Cloves (1 tsp)
- Coriander (2 tbsp)
Instructions:
Step 1: In medium heat, roast all the ingredients separately.
Step 2: While roasting, do stir them continuously, so they are evenly roasted.
Step 3: Collect them all as well as let them cool for a bit.
Step 4: After that, grind them all in a fine powder and store them in an airtight container.
Here, roasting the spices separately in order to retain their freshness and fragrance. Evenly roasted ingredients refer to their crisp and slightly warm essence on them as well as has aromatic characters.
Type 5
Used for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, this Garam Masalas depicts only the spice of mustard. Not even single chilies are added here to spice up the flavor yet is fragrant.
Ingredients:
- Nigella seeds (2 tbsp)
- Cumin seeds (2 tbsp)
- Black mustard seeds (2 tbsp)
- Fennel seeds (2 tbsp)
- Fenugreek seeds (1 tbsp)
Instructions:
Step 1: In a low flame, every ingredient is roasted until it has an aromatic smell.
Step 2: Then, these ingredients are cooled down before you grind them in a blender.
Step 3: Lastly, store them in an airtight container.
All the ingredients roasts separately to retain their freshness and fragrance so these spices must be kept air tight to maintain their quality. As a fun fact, this type of Garam Masala gives a taste of pickling spice as well as is most flavorful when freshly made.
About The Storage of Your Garam Masala
Make sure to use an airtight container, as any other container with air ventilation will make your masala lose its potency. Additionally, for the dish’s rich flavors and aroma, it is often best recommended to use the homemade Garam Masala within a month or so.