Home made garam Masala masala powder/ கரம் மசாலா தூள் / Step by step - Friendship 5 series

        For the third day of "Friendship Series", I selected garam masala powder. This powder is a must in all "North Indian " dishes. In the beginning, I used to buy this powder from shop. But now started preparing my own powder. It is fresh, when we grind it at home. Always grind garam masala powder in small quantities. Because, it looses its aroma quickly. Nutmeg has a strong flavour, so always use it less. When we prepare a gravy, just add a tsp of garam masala at the end. One of my Senior and my blog follower, asked for this recipe long back. I was postponing this post for so long. This event made me to post the recipe. Enjoy this powder for every curry.

Ingredients:

1.Bay leaves - 1/2 cup

2.Cinnamon sticks - 1 1/4 tbsp

3.Pepper corns - 1 1/4 tbsp

4.Cardamom - 2 tbsp

5.Cloves - 2 tbsp

6.Nutmeg - 3 

7.Cumin seeds - 2/3 cup or 3 tbsp

Method:

* Measure all the ingredients and keep it ready. Make sure all the ingredients are perfectly dry. Or just dry it under sun for half an hour. The amount of bay leaves and nutmeg can be decreased, as they have a strong flavour. 

* Transfer the ingredients to the blender and pulse it. The mixture should be fine powder. If you feel the mixture is grainy, then pulse it again. We can also sieve the mixture to a fine powder.

* Store it in air tight containers.Whenever ,we want to add, just add a tsp of garam masala.

Notes:
* Don't store the masalas in glass containers. Because, the glass container can absorb the aroma of the powder.
* Always store in cool and dark place.Sunlight will easily take away the aroma.
* Always grind the garam masala in small quantities, as it may loose it freshness easily.
* For any dish, just add little garam masala,as they tend to over power the dish.

Linking this to "Friendship 5 Series " started by "Geetha" and "Savitha"