Curry Masala

In Indian cooking, Curry Masala is a spice mixture. Something like curry powder, but not one that's been made from questionable ingredients and kept in a jar or can for months on end. Although it is usually better to make up spice mixtures for dishes as you need them, it is sometimes expedient to have a ready-made masala to hand. After all, that's all garam masala is: "hot mixture of spices".

Here are my favourite mixes – including one for a particularly flavoursome garam masala:

Curry Masala #1
Measuring note: 1 teaspoon = roughly 5 grams of spice
60 grams ground coriander
40 grams ground cumin
20 grams ground fenugreek
20 grams turmeric
5 grams ground red chilli

Curry Masala #2
60 grams coriander seed
20 grams cumin seed
10 grams black pepper
5 grams fenugreek seed
Roast the dry ingredients in a dry (no oil) warm pan over a gentle heat until the oils break down and the spices are released. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. When they are cold, the spices will grind more easily. Place in an electric grinder (or use a pestle and mortar) and grind as finely as possible.

Curry Masala #3
20 grams dried red chillies (or less, according to taste)
20 grams cinnamon bark (broken up)
10 grams green cardamon
10 grams mace
10 grams cloves
This is a pungent masala mixture from Mr Mudani of Mumbai. Follow the roasting and grinding instructions for #2.


Garam Masala
Garam masala can be used for several different purposes. You can sprinkle it over cooked dishes for an extra dimension of flavour, add it to yoghurt as an accompaniment or – as they do in the Punjab – add it to your dish towards the end of the cooking process.
60 grams coriander seeds
50 grams cumin seeds
40 grams fennel seeds
25 grams black peppercorns
20 grams cloves
8 green cardamons
25 grams cassia bark
8 grams ginger powder
2 bay leaves
Cook all the spices (except the ginger powder) in a dry pan, gentling warming over a low heat and stirring all the time. The idea is to release the flavours, not burn them. Allow your spices to cool by placing them on a cold plate and setting to one side. When they are perfectly cold, add them to a coffee grinder (or pestle and mortar) and grind them as fine as possible. Mix in the ginger powder and store in n air-tight jar.

This is how you make Curry Masala the easy – and more delicious – way.