Bin Bhuna Hua Garam Masala

Coriander Scented Untoasted Blend

The heady aromas emanating from the release oils of just pulverized spices give you a hint of fresh and complex flavors that are sorely missing from store- purchased pre-ground spices. This version of garam masala does not involve toasting of whole spices. It is added to a dish, early on in the cooking, allowing time to add their subtle flavors.


According to Raghavan Iyer, the author of the book 660 Curries, this blend is perfectly acceptable in any recipe that calls for a commercial curry powder.

Makes: 3 tablespoons

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds from green or white pods (or can substiture 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder)
2 dried bay leaves
3 or 4 dried red chillies; or 1 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a small blender and grind until the texture resembles that of finely ground black pepper.

Store the mixture in a tightly sealed container, away from excess light, heat, and humidity, for up to 2 months (Do not refrigerate, as it adversely affects its flavors).

This blend is used in the recipe Mutter Paneer.

Balti Masala (Fennel-Flavored Toasted Spice Blend)

A Hindi/Urdu word for "bucket" is balti and here it's not a vessel for cooking. This is a coined terminology that originated with an enterprising Pakistani restaurant owner in Birmingham, England, and ended up back in restaurants in India. The food is actually cooked and served in a karhai, not a bucket: a karhai is the Indian version of the wok. Wherever it came from, some of the spices used in this blend are typical in Pakistani cooking. This blend can also be substituted for Kashmiri garam masala for equally satisfying results.



Makes 1/3 cup

Ingredients:

2 tsps fennel seeds
2 tsps coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp nigella seeds
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks (each 30inches long), broken into small pieces
2 tsp cayenne (ground red pepper) or can substitute red chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the whole spices (reserving the cayenne and nutmeg), and toast, shaking the skillet every few seconds, until the fennel, coriander, and cumin turn reddish brown, the mustard, cloves and bay leaves appear brittle and crinkly, and the mixture is highly fragrant, 1 to2 minutes. (The nigella will not change color.)

Immediately transfer the nutty smelling spices to a plate to cool. (The longer they sit in the hot skillet, the more likely it is that they will burn, making them bitter and unpalatable.) Once they are cool to the touch, place them in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, and grind until the texture resembles ground black pepper. (If you don't allow the spice to cool, the ground blend will acquire unwanted moisture from the heat making the final blend slightly "Cakey".) The ground blend will be a deep reddish brown and the aroma will be sweet and complex, very different from those of the pre-toasted or post-toasted whole spices. Stir in the cayenne and nutmeg.

Store the mix in a tightly sealed container, away from excess light, heat and humidity, for up to 2 months. (Also refrigerating the blend adversely affects its flavors.)

Chinese 5 Spice Powder

An authentic home-made version of the original blend of spices. Just lke our very own garam masala,every Chinesehousehold has its own delicate balnce of ingredients to make this fragnant powder.

Preparation time : 10 Minutes
Cooking time: 15 Minutes
Makes 1/4 Cup

Ingredients:

4 tsps Peppercorns
16 whole Star anise
12 Cloves
10 Stiks Cinnamon
2 tbsps Fennel seeds

Method

In a dry pan, roast the peppercorns over lo heat until the aroma is released. Keep aside.

Roast togeter the other ingredients for about 3 minutes on low heat till the aroma is released.

Grind together all he ingredients in a blender. Sieve the miture.

A coarse powder of the spices will be left behind. Grind it again to make a fine powder and sieve again. Discard the coarse powder left behind or grind it aain.

Store the sieved powder in a air-tight jar and use as required.

Kootu Powder

Kootu is a South Indian dish. Its basically a Lentil curry with Groundnuts and vegetables. It can be taken along with rice as well as chapathi. Its got a peppery hot flavour which goes great during winter. The basic ingredient for making kootu is kootu powder.

Following ingredients are required for making Kootu powder.

Channa dhal 1/2 cup
Urad dhal 1/4 cup
Jeera 2 tsp
Coriander seeds 2 Tbsp
Red chilli 3
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon 1" piece
Poppy seeds 1 tsp

Method
Fry all the ingredients except poppy seeds until golden brown and until you start getting a good aroma. Take the pan off the heat and add the poppy seeds. Transfer the contents into another plate as there are chances of the ingredients getting burned if they stay longer inside the hot pan. Let the mixture cool,then grind it to a powder.

Store it in a air tight container.

You can prepare 3 to 4 preparations of Kootu with this powder. Quantity of the ingredients can be doubled or trippled to make more powder. This powder can be stored for months in an air tight container at room temperature.
Have a look at Mixed Vegetable kootu.

Palya Powder

Palya is a South Indian(kannada) term used for dry vegetable side dish which can be taken along with Indian bread or mixed with rice to make a Masala vegetable rice. Any vegetable palya can prepared using this powder and Palya Powder is the basic ingredient for making palya. This powder can be preserved in a air tight container and can be used for months. Here is the recipe for Palya powder.

Ingredients:
Red chilli - 3/4 cup
Coriander seeds - 1 1/4 cup
Channa dhal (Kadale bele) - 1/2 cup
Urad dhal (Uddinbele) - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds (Methi seeds) - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon - 3" piece
Clove - 3
nutmeg - small piece
Mace - 2 Strands(optional)
Cardamom - 1
Poppy seeds - 2tsp
Curry leaves - about a hand full

Preparation:
Take a tsp of oil in a pan on a medium heat and fry Cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds till they turn slight brown. Switch off the heat and add the poppy seeds. Keep aside and let cool.

Now fry the rest of the ingredients that is Channa dhal, Urad dhal and coriander seeds without oil.

Now combine all the fried ingredients and grind it to a smooth powder.

Preserve this powder in a air tight container.

Take a look at Vegetable palya.