Garam masala is typically known as a warming finishing spice, but here we turn that pungent warmth into more of a roaring fire. You can control that heat by choosing a dried red chili pepper that works best for your heat tolerance. Go mild for a simmering warmth or light things up with something extra hot. We offer some ideas below, but consider the pepper’s flavor nuances before use, as they will have an impact on the overall garam masala flavor.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Warm and aromatic, with cinnamon, clove and cardamom up front, earthy cumin and coriander, and a chili kick that you choose. |
| Primary heat source | Three dried red chilies, seeds removed. Anywhere from 2,500 to 75,000 SHU, depending on the chili. |
| Heat level | Mild with guajillo, hotter with chile de árbol, and very hot with Tien Tsin. |
| Texture | A fine, dry powder once everything’s ground together. |
| Best uses | Stirred into curries, dal and chana masala at the end, or mixed into a yogurt marinade. |
| Customization ideas | A hotter or milder chili, a little extra black cardamom for smoke, or fresh-grated nutmeg. |
| Before you start | About 20 minutes. You’ll need a dry skillet and a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. |
Flavor notes
The chili sets the heat, so pick it on purpose. Guajillos run 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville heat units and bring a mild, fruity warmth. Chile de árbol runs 15,000 to 30,000, a cleaner and sharper heat. And Tien Tsin peppers run 50,000 to 75,000, so three of them turn this into a seriously hot blend.
Garam masala is traditionally treated as a finishing spice. Most recipes add it at the end of cooking, stirred in during the last minute or two or sprinkled on after the pan comes off the heat, since long cooking dulls its aroma. That doesn’t mean it can’t go in earlier, though. It works well in a yogurt marinade for chicken tikka, too.
Toast each spice on its own. The seeds, the cinnamon and the chilies all take different amounts of time, and toasting them together means something burns before the rest are ready. Pull each one as soon as it smells fragrant, since scorched spices taste bitter.
Black cardamom isn’t just a darker version of green. It’s dried over an open fire, so it brings a smoky note that green cardamom doesn’t have, and the two together give the blend a lot of its depth.
Let everything cool for a few minutes before you grind it. Then grind as finely as you can, and stir in the nutmeg last, since it goes in already ground. Freshly grated nutmeg will give you the most aroma.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat or the depth of the blend.
- Want it milder? Use guajillos, or cut back to one or two chilies of whatever kind you have.
- Want it hotter? Use Tien Tsin peppers, or leave a few of the chili seeds in.
- Want more smoke? Add a little extra black cardamom, or swap one of the chilies for a dried chipotle.
- Short on whole spices? Already-ground versions work in a pinch. Skip the toasting and just stir them together, though you’ll get a less vivid blend.
- Want it brighter? Grate the nutmeg fresh and grind a few extra green cardamom seeds into the mix.
Serving ideas
Use it the way you’d use any garam masala, with a little more heat.
- In curries. Stirred in during the last minute or two of cooking, or sprinkled on top before serving.
- In dal or chana masala. A pinch at the end brightens a pot of lentils or chickpeas.
- In a marinade. Mixed with yogurt, lemon juice and a little oil for chicken or paneer.
- On roasted vegetables. Tossed with roasted potatoes, cauliflower or carrots right after they come out of the oven.
Storage notes
Keep the blend in a sealed jar in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the heat of the stove. Ground spices lose their aroma over time, so it’s at its best within a few months.
If you don’t use garam masala often, make a half batch, so it doesn’t sit in the cupboard losing its aroma.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Spicy Chana Masala: A chickpea curry that leans hotter than most, with garam masala in the mix.
- Homemade Chaat Masala: Another homemade Indian blend, aromatic and savory, with a healthy dose of dried red chilies.
- Vindaloo Masala Powder: The spice blend behind vindaloo, for when you want Indian heat turned all the way up.
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Spicy Garam Masala
Ingredients
- 3 dried red chili peppers seeds removed*
- 2 cinnamon sticks 3 inches long
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 tablespoon green cardamom seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon black cardamom seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg ground, or freshly grated
Instructions
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast all ingredients separately, except the nutmeg. Each should be toasted for approximately 60 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Let the toasted spices cool for a few minutes. Then, using a mortar and pestle (or spice grinder), grind them into a fine powder.
- Add the nutmeg and stir to combine all the spices.
- Use immediately, or seal in a jar for future use.
