Indian Palace Restaurant

Garam masala (Hindi: गरम मसाला, garam masala, dt: hot spice) is usually a mixture of ground spices in the preparation of curries in Indian cuisine.
The traditional spice blends contain the heat after the body of Ayurvedic medicine. These include, among others, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and cumin. Almost every family has its own recipe, with the "modern" blends flavored with spices such as fennel or green cardamom contain rather have the cooling effect. The uncrushed dry ingredients are usually first toasted in a pan so that the essential oils and flavors are released and, after cooling, then pounded in a mortar or a spice mill ground, they can be used but also swallowed whole with whole spices. The mixture is properly closed for several months.
Garam masala is a tobacco-brown color and is used because of the strong aroma especially meat dishes. It can either be toasted spice mixture in hot fat until the meat is browned, but mostly it is added only at the end of the cooking process. Many Indian recipes using garam masala sparingly and as a component that provides the basic tastes. Most dishes contain therefore even more spices.
The selection of spices used determines the flavor of the garam masala. Sharpness is achieved by the addition of chili, including the addition of coriander seeds and saffron is possible.