Huh. TIL. The (Hindu) woman who taught me a few Indian recipes told me that the spices in garam masala were always pre-roasted, with the exception of the nutmeg.
Maybe it's a regional thing?
Maybe it's a regional thing?
Black cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg etc.
Again, regional differences aside, I don’t believe any of those are roasted beforehand. At least the garam masala that I’m familiar with is like that.
If you're buying powder this has either already happened or it is too late.
Given that, there are spices that are toasted and some which are not.
For example, toasted cumin is just divine, toasted clove is also interesting. However, I'm not sure if say black pepper, black and green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves etc. are ever toasted, at least we haven't tried that. Perhaps I should experiment one of these days..
Moreover, even with cumin, toasted cumin serves different purpose than regular cumin. Regular cumin is added in oil/ghee, while toasted powdered cumin in used as is. Most of the spices are anyway cooked in ghee or oil which enhances flavor.
Also, with garam masala, we use both whole (as a mixture of whole spices) as well as ground.
No, I'm telling you that you can toast all of them, and you might like it.
> For example, toasted cumin is just divine, toasted clove is also interesting. However, I'm not sure if say black pepper, black and green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves etc. are ever toasted, at least we haven't tried that.
I suggest you try it.
Black cardamom and cinnamon definitely both toast nicely.
Tej patta is a herb, not a spice.
I don't think dry heat is quite such an easy win with herbs as it is with spices.
> Also, with garam masala, we use both whole (as a mixture of whole spices) as well as ground.
Sure. People make garam masala all sorts of ways: Do whatever makes you happy. I'm just suggesting you try something awesome, not trying to tell you or anyone else "what" garam masala is.
Will do, I’m curious now. Sounds like a cool project for this weekend :)
I don’t know. Is a raw onion as good as a nice caramelised one? Maybe some people think they’re just different. Maybe it’s like coke and pepsi. Maybe they taste no difference at all. Or maybe just with some spices. Maybe some people even like the mix of toasted and non-toasted. Whatever their preference it is because it’s their preference, and so that’s the recipe they hand down to their kids.
I’m just saying you should try the caramelised onion, and don’t just stick to the raw ones because that’s the recipe you know.
But, again, we use ground fresh toasted cumin as is, usually sprinkled on the top of dishes. While, regular cumin is cooked with oil/ghee. Cooking toasted cumin will char/burn it.
The reason most people will use powdered garam masala is that it is much more efficient. A little powder can provide similar flavor as many whole spices.
Without getting into a flavour debate, it undeniably makes some (e.g. cumin) a lot easier to powder finely.
> Maybe it's a regional thing?
It's regional insofar as the exact constituents of garam masala are regional - nutmeg, for example, is a pretty regional one and not super widespread.
It can be roasted, raw, or ground, depending on which stage you're using it in.