Homemade Kerala Garam Masala Powder

Homemade Kerala Garam Masala Powder  / Kerala 5 spice powder – It can be used  for meat dishes, egg dishes, cutlets .. Make in smaller quantity - ie for use for a few times. The fragrance / freshness may be lost if one makes in large quantity and store for longer duration. Recipe from ‘ The Essential Cookbook by Vijayan Kannampilly’.

Makes: 70 g 

Ingredients

1 nutmeg, grated or broken into small pieces (jaathikka)

10  cloves (karayambu)

10 x 5 cm cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces (karuvappatta)

100 g fennel seeds (perum jeerakam)

2 large mace blades (jathipathri)

Method

Please select good quality spices. Gently wipe cinnamon stick, nutmeg and maze blades with a soft dry towel.

Heat iron  karahi / pan on a medium heat. Reduce  the heat to low and gently dry  roast above spices until light fragrant (approximate time 8  minutes on a medium to low heat). Keep aside to cool for half an hour.

Transfer dry roasted ingredients into  a small mixer bowl and make a fine powder and then sieve it through a fine sieve (now the net weight is 70 g). Store it in an airtight container (or in Tupperware dry storage box). ½ teaspoon garam masala powder required for egg curry  (2 servings) and 1 teaspoon garam masala powder required for 500 g  chicken  / mutton preparation.