Learn how to make Homemade Garam Masala recipe with step by step pictures. Easy Garam Masala recipe, a magic spice powder made with basic Indian spices to jazz up your curries/gravies.

Today I am starting off a mini series on essential spice powders & masala recipes. And the first recipe in the spice powder series is easy Homemade Garam Masala. For years now, I have had this dream of making a spice powder series and after putting it off for so long, I finally took the plunge. Garam Masala Powder is one of the widely used spice powders in my kitchen. It is easier to get store-bought packaged stuff but nothing comes close to the homemade goodness.

Homemade Garam Masala Powder

Garam Masala is a blend of whole Indian spices, highly used in every Indian kitchen. It is highly aromatic, adding to the flavor of the recipe. It is the magical ingredient in from very humble homestyle curries & gravies to exotic biryanis. Garam literally means hot and while there are no hot red chillies used in this recipe, it just is referred that way as it jazzes up the dish! Did you know that garam masala powder added towards the end of the recipe, just when the curry is about to be done adds oodles more flavor?! Try it next time 🙂

Homemade vs Store-bought

Homemade Garam Masala has a lot of whole Indian spices, aromatics. The best part about making spice powder at home is that the ingredients are hand-picked and there are no preservatives or additives. Once you have made this at home, there is no going back to store-bought stuff.

Garam Masala Ingredients

The whole spices used in making Garam Masala Powder are pretty standard but what generally changes is the proportion of each ingredient.

Here are the main spices using in varying proportions –

Coriander Seeds & Cumin Seeds
Cloves, Cinnamon Sticks, Dry Bay Leaves
Star Anise, Cardamom, Black Cardamom
Mace, Nutmeg
Shahi Jeera, Fennel Seeds, Black Peppercorns

Garam Masala – 2 Ways

In this recipe, since I had made a small batch, I dry roasted the spices on stove top and used my blender to grind it at home. But if we are making this in bulk, the spices can be sun dried and ground in a flour-mill.

Check out the curries, gravies and biryani where this spice powder can be used

Homemade Garam Masala Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

In a thick bottomed kadai/pan, dry roast 4 tablespoon cumin seeds and 2tbsp coriander seeds until they are fragrant for about 4-5 minutes. Remove onto a plate to cool down.

In the same pan, add rest of the aromatic spices – 8 Dry Bay Leaves, 10-12 Green Cardamoms, 4 Black Cardamoms, 3 Cinnamon Sticks, 4 Mace Flowers, ½ Nutmeg, 3 Star Anise and 1 tablespoon Cloves. Dry roast for about 4-5 mins on low flame. Remove from heat.

In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds, 2 tablespoon Shahi Jeera and 2 teaspoon Black Peppercorns. Dry roast for about 2 mins.

Let all the roasted spices come to room temperature.

Add them to a blender and grind into a smooth powder.

Cool on a plate or newspaper before transferring to an airtight container. It is optional to sieve the powder to remove any coarse particles.

Store at room temperature in air tight container, use a clean dry spoon. Add it to your favorite curries/gravies as recipe suggests.

Recipe Notes

Recipe measurement for spices are suggestive and can be adjusted as per personal preference.
Garam masala is usually added towards the end of the recipe to keep the aromatics fresh and to enhance the flavor.

Recipe Card

📖 Recipe

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂

Garam Masala | How to make Homemade Garam Masala