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garam masala

 
Dictionary: ga·ram ma·sa·la   (gä-räm' mä-sä'lä) pronunciation
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n.
A seasoning made by blending dry-roasted, ground spices, such as black pepper, cumin, cloves, and cardamom, used in the cooking of northern India.

[Urdu garm maṣāliḥ, garam masālā, hot spices : garm, garam, hot, burning (from Persian garm , from Middle Persian , from Old Persian garma- , in garma-pada, entrance of the heat, month name) + maṣāliḥ, masālā, ingredients, mixture of spices (from Persian masāleḥ , from Arabic maṣāliḥ, pl. of maṣlaha, benefit , from ṣalaḥa, to be good).]


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Recipe: Garam Masala
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(Spice Mixture)

Recipe origin: India

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons cardamom, ground
  • 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cloves, ground
  • Nutmeg, ground, to taste

Procedure

  1. Mix all the ingredients together.
  2. Store in an airtight container and add to recipes as needed.
Food and Nutrition: garam masala
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A mixture of aromatic spices widely used in Indian cooking; contains powdered black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, mace, cardamom seeds, and sometimes also coriander and/or bay leaf.

Food Lover's Companion: garam masala
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[gah-RAHM mah-SAH-lah] Garam is Indian for "warm" or "hot," and this blend of dry-roasted, ground spices from the colder climes of northern India adds a sense of "warmth" to both palate and spirit. There are as many variations of garam masala (which may contain up to 12 spices) as there are Indian cooks. It can include black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chiles, fennel, mace, nutmeg and other spices. Garam masala may be purchased in Indian markets and in most supermarkets. It's also easily prepared at home, but should be made in small batches to retain its freshness. As with all spices, it should be stored in a cool, dry place for no more than 6 months. Garam masala is usually either added to a dish toward the end of cooking or sprinkled over the surface just before serving.

Wikipedia: Garam masala
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For the Bollywood film, see Garam Masala (film).
Garam masala

Garam masala, from Hindi garam, "Hot" and masala "mixture", is a basic blend of ground spices common in Indian and other South Asian cuisines.[1] It is used alone or with other seasonings. The word garam refers to spice intensity, not heat; Garam masala is pungent, but not "hot" in the same way as a chili pepper.

Contents

Ingredients

Ingredients for garam masala

The composition of garam masala differs regionally, with wide variety across India. Some common ingredients are black & white peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, long pepper (also known as pippali), black cumin (known as shahi jeera), cumin seeds, cinnamon; black, brown, & green cardamom, nutmeg, star anise and coriander seeds. Varying combinations of these and other spices are used in regional variants of garam masala,[1] none of which is considered more authentic than another.[2]

Some recipes call for spices to be blended with herbs, while others grind the spices with water, vinegar or other liquids such as coconut milk to make a paste. In some recipes nuts, onion or garlic may be added. The flavours may be carefully blended to achieve a balanced effect, or in some cases a single flavour may be emphasized for special dishes where this is desired. Usually a masala is cooked before use to release its flavours and aromas.[1]

Regional variations

It is generally understood that the spices to be included in a garam masala will vary according to region and personal taste. A Northwest Indian garam masala usually includes cloves; green, black, and/or brown cardamom, cinnamon, cassia, mace and/or nutmeg. Black pepper can be added if the mix is to be used immediately, but if kept, the fragrance will diminish, and may change in character. Also typical of the region is the use of caraway and black cumin.[2] The components of the mix are ground together, but not roasted.

Commercial mixtures

A commercial package of garam masala

Garam masala can be had as a commercially-prepared ground mixture made from spices. Many commercial mixtures may include more of other less expensive spices and may contain dried red chili peppers, dried garlic, ginger powder, sesame, mustard seeds, turmeric, coriander, bay leaves, star anise and fennel. While commercial garam masala preparations can be bought ready ground, as with all ground spice, they do not keep well and soon lose their aroma. Whole spices, which keep fresh much longer, can be ground when needed using a mortar and pestle or electric coffee grinder. When commercially ground garam masala is used in dishes, it is often added at the end of cooking so that the full aroma is not lost. Whole garam masala, however, is added early to the cooking fat, oil, or ghee for a more pungent flavour. Because of the deeper flavour, many Pakistani and Indian chefs will not use commercially ground garam masala and insist on making their own from whole spices and herbs.

Use in specific dishes

The order in which spices are added to food may be very elaborate in some dishes. In the case of the Kashmiri speciality roghan josh, for example, coriander, ginger and chilis are each ground individually. A garam masala of cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, mace, cumin, turmeric and nutmeg is separately prepared. The cook tastes the dish carefully to determine the precise moment when the next spice should be added. The order is coriander initially, then the ground ginger, then the garam masala and finally the chilis. [1]

In the chicken dish Murgo Kari (chicken curry) the procedure is also precise. First the chicken is fried and removed from the pan. Onion, garlic and fresh ginger are added to the pan and cooked slowly for 7 to 8 minutes. Next cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, cayenne and fennel are added with water and fried for a minute or so. Next tomato concassé is added with cilantro, yoghurt and salt. The chicken is returned to the pan and more water is added. Finally some garam masala is sprinkled on top, the pot is tightly covered and the dish cooks another 20 minutes before serving.

See also

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Rama Rau, Santha (1969-06). The Cooking of India (Foods of the World). USA: Time Life Education. ISBN 978-0809400690. 
  2. ^ a b Khana Khazana

External links

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Herbs and spices

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Recipe. Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World. Copyright © 2002 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food Lover's Companion. Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Garam masala".  Read more