Ingredients

• ½ cup cumin seeds
• ¼ cup whole coriander seeds
• ¼ cup black peppercorns
• ¼ cup fennel seeds
• 2 tsp mace
• 10″ cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 tsp cloves
• 20 green cardamom
• 5 black cardamom
• 1 nutmeg
• 12 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 2 tsp dry ginger powder (add later)

Method:

1. First, gather all your whole spices and lightly clean them if needed.
2. Next, heat a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet over medium-low heat (do not add any oil).
3. Once the pan is hot, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves.
4. Now, dry-roast the spices for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly or shaking the pan so they toast evenly. You’ll know they’re ready when they become very aromatic and turn a shade darker (be careful not to burn them!).
5. After the whole spices are nicely roasted, remove the pan from heat and immediately transfer them to a plate to cool completely. This stops the cooking process.
6. Meanwhile, if using whole nutmeg, break it into smaller pieces with a hammer or mortar.
7. Once the spices are completely cool, add them (along with the nutmeg pieces) to a spice grinder or high-powered blender.
8. Then, grind everything into a fine powder. You may need to do this in two batches and shake the grinder in between to ensure even grinding.
9. Finally, pass the ground masala through a fine sieve to remove any larger bits (especially fibrous pieces from cinnamon or cardamom pods). Return the coarse bits to the grinder and pulse again.
10. Lastly, if you like a Punjabi-style garam masala, stir in the dried ginger powder at this stage (do not roast it).
11. When everything is finely powdered, let it cool again, then store in an airtight jar away from direct sunlight. It stays flavorful for 4–6 months.
12. Enjoy your fragrant, fresh garam masala in curries, biryanis, or sabzi.