What Is Garam Masala?
Garam Masala, an aromatic and complex flavoured spice blend, used extensively in Indian Cuisine, helps spruce up any dish and adds a distinctly unique flavour to them. The main ground spices used to blend include coriander seeds, cloves, bay leaves, black pepper, black cumin, cumin seeds and cinnamon.
It originated in Northern Indian cuisine, where it is especially found in traditional Mughal dishes. In Ayurvedic medicine, the spices in garam masala are warming, meaning that they increase metabolism as well as offer several other health benefits such as fighting Bad Cholesterol, relieves Inflammation and improves overall health.
There is no single garam masala recipe. Ingredients may vary and include turmeric, saffron, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, tamarind, or dried red chiles besides the main ground spices. It is intended to be a fragrant spice as well as flavourful and is generally not fiery hot. Instead, it adds warmth, sweetness, floral notes, and a touch of heat!
How can you use Garam Masala?
Garam masala is usually added towards the end of cooking so that it not only acts as a seasoning for the dish but also adds to the aroma. A small to medium batch of this warm complex spice blend is all that you need to liven up the curries and veggie preparations. It could also be used to garnish white rice, salads and also helps in sprucing fried snacks.
So by adding a little more spiciness and flavour to your dishes along with numerous health promoting properties, you could gift yourself with a delicious good quality meal.