How to prepare kerala garam masala powder at home?

How to prepare Kerala garam masala powder at home is one of the common question asked by the newly married girls all over Kerala. Now a days the garam masala’s available at stores, cannot be believed for its quality. Most of them contains additional coloring agents, and other added flavors to increase the taste and which in turn affects the stomach and causes a bad impact on one’s health itself. Masala powders prepared at home are very fresh and healthier, with a nostalgic taste of our mother’s dishes.

Malayalees ( those who speak Malayalam), from the land of spices, should actually be ashamed of using those packet masala’s prepared by other states. Why aren’t we preparing fresh masala’s at home rather than go for unhealthier, and those with unpredictable ingredients?

Yes I know in these times, most of us are not only house wives; but who are handling both the work and life at office and home. There is very less time for us to go and try these stuffs. But just think, like, why we are working for? For a better life; and what if we have all pleasures, except health?

Without health, there is nothing we can enjoy, so let’s start it from our kitchen. Just put half an hour, during a weekend and you can have those fresh aromas of spices at your kitchen & say good bye to those packet masala’s.

Now what I’m going to explain is the way in which we can have the Kerala garam masala powder at home. Garam masala is usually used to prepare dishes like, chicken curry, meat masala, Kuruma, pea’s masala etc.

Now all we need is

1. FENNEL SEEDS – two handful
2. CINAMMON STICKS – 2-3 sticks
3. STAR ANISE- 4 In number
4. GREEN CARDAMOM – 15 in number
5. CLOVES – 20 in number
6. POPPY SEEDS - 4-5 pinch

These are hand measurements of our grandmother’s; if you are uncertain about the measurement, there is garam masala kit available in the market, which contains, correct measurements of items explained above. A small kit will be sufficient for a small family, for about six months.

First in a heated pan, just roast the fennel seeds, once it is roasted to the maximum, add cinnamon sticks, start anise, green cardamom, cloves and poppy seeds. Roast these and off the flame, allow the same to cool down. Once it is cooled, in a mixer grinder, grind it into fine powder. Keep the powder in an air tight container and it can be used for more than six months’ time.

Tip of the day: while preparing chicken curry, what I do is first I take

1. Green mirchi – 3-4 in number
2. Ginger- a small piece
3. Garlic – 1 pills
4. Pepper – 2 pinches
5. Cardamon – 3-4 in number
6. Star Anise- 3 in number
7. Cloves – 2-3 in number
8. Cinammon stick – ½

Grind the same in mixer grinder, and make it a paste, apply it on the chicken pieces and keep it for half an hour, before cooking the same. Once cooked, you will be adding garam masala powder along with mirchi powder, coriander powder etc., but the initial process, will make the chicken pieces tastier, with a fresh aroma and nostalgic feeling… just try it out yourself &

HAPPY COOKING……….