Garam masala
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- For the Bollywood film see Garam Masala (film)
Garam masala (गरम मसाला in
Hindi) is a blend of dry-roasted ground
spices common in Pakistani/Indian cuisine, whose literal meaning is 'hot (or warm) spice'. There are many variants: most traditional mixes use just
cinnamon,
cloves,
nutmeg (and/or mace),
black pepper and green
cardamom seed or
black cardamom pods. Many commercial mixtures may include more of other less expensive spices and may contain dried red
chili peppers, dried
garlic,
ginger powder,
sesame,
mustard seeds,
turmeric,
coriander,
bay leaves,
cumin, and
fennel. While commercial garam masala preparations can be bought ready ground, it does not keep well, and soon loses its aroma. Whole spices, which keep fresh much longer, can be ground when needed using a
pestle or electric coffee grinder.
Garam masala can be used during cooking, but unlike many spices, it is often added at the end of cooking, so that the full aroma is not lost. Garam masala is not "hot" in the sense that chilis are, but is fairly pungent.
See also
External links
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