Basic Masala

Most gravid Indian dishes have certain ingredients in common, so preparing and storing one when you have some spare time is a great idea.

I freeze masala in ice trays in freezer and then store these masala cubes in freezer bags. Do not forget to label the freezer bag with date and freeze for later use.

You have to just add meat or veggie to the gravy and cook through.

Ingredients:

• 4 large onions cut into quarters
• 1 medium tomato cut into quarters
• 8-10 cloves of garlic
• 2” cube of ginger
• 4 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 4 green chilies chopped
• 4 tsp red chili powder (modify the quantity according to your need)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 8-10 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Grind the onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilies together in a food processor till you get a smooth paste. Add little water while grinding.
• Heat the cooking oil in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame. Add the onion paste, fry for 8-10 minutes.
• Now add the powdered spices and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
• If you are not using masala immediately then turn off the fire and allow the paste to cool completely.
• Fill ice cubes tray with the masala and freeze it. After 2-3 hours, when masala is set like ice cubes, take out from the tray and store in a freezer bag. Label the freezer bag with date and freeze for later use. Use number of cubes according to your taste. If any time you feel that gravy is thin, add more cubes to the curry.
• If cooking curry then add prepared vegetable/ chicken/meat at this stage. Allow to cook till it is done.
• You can add little meat masala or chicken masala or kitchen king masala powders (different brands are available in Indian Grocery Store) to basic masala to give different flavors to different curries.
• Sprinkle garam masala powder in the end when curry is ready to be served.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves or grated cheese or fresh cream.

Some Recipes:

• Aloo Parwal
• Peas Mushroom Curry
• Egg Curry
• Matar Paneer
• Gosht Masala
• Keema Lobia

Green Curry Masala

Gravy is green and goes well with potato, chicken, Lamb or goat, paneer etc.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped scallion ( green onions or green onion)
• 2 cups spinach chopped, washed and drained
• 4-5 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 1 pinch soda bi carbonate
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

• Take spinach in a large vessel, add ¼ cup of water and soda. Cover and put to boil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Cool in a plate or run under tap water to cool.
• Put spinach in a grinder; add scallion, green chilies, wheat flour, white vinegar and a few pinches of salt. Grind to smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and fry till color is changed. Add ginger, garlic paste and stir fry till light pink.
• Add blended spinach mixture, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and allow cooking on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes or till it is thick.
• If you are not using masala immediately then turn off the fire and allow the paste to cool completely.
• Fill ice cubes tray with the masala and freeze it. After 2-3 hours, when masala is set like ice cubes, take out from the tray and store in a freezer bag. Label the freezer bag with date and freeze for later use.
• If cooking curry then add prepared vegetable/ chicken/meat at this stage. Allow to cook till it is done.
• Mix lemon juice before serving.

Green Curry Masala Recipes:

Chicken Green Curry

Paneer Kofta Curry

Hara Masala Aloo

Hara Masala Shrimps

Panch Phoran

Five-spice mix is an Indian spice blend typically consisting of five whole spices in equal measure.

Panch means ‘five’ and phoron is ‘flavor’ or ‘spice’, hence the common translation Bengali ‘Five-Spice’. Panch phoran is a colorful blend of flavorful seeds: the green of fennel seed, black mustard and nigella seeds, golden fenugreek and buff-colored cumin seeds.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp Nigella seeds
• 1 tbsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients and store in an airtight container.

How to use:

Panch phoran is usually fried in hot oil or ghee before adding anything else to the pot in which cooking is to be done. These seeds pop up in the hot oil releasing the aroma of the seeds in the oil. Other ingredients are added when seeds stop spluttering. The panch phoran mixture adds sweetness and brings forward the flavors of vegetables, fish or lentils.

Variations:

Some variations include wild onion seeds instead of cumin, while others include radhuni seeds in place of mustard seeds.

Radhuni is also known as wild celery in English or ajmod in Urdu and Hindi. It is a very strong spice, with a characteristic smell similar to parsley with the taste of celery.

In the tradition of Oriya and Bengali cuisine, seeds are used whole and quickly fried in very hot oil until they crackle. Vegetables (especially potatoes), lentils, or fish are added to the cooking vessel after this to coat with the spice mixture.

Recipes :

Tilapia Tomato Curry

Baingan Ki Sabji

Garam Masala

Garam Masala is the most aromatic and fragrant of all Indian spice blends. It is used throughout North India in all types of dishes, from appetizers and soups to yogurt salad and main courses. This blend is indispensable to Moghul and North Indian cooking.

Garam means ‘hot’ or ‘heating’ and masala means ‘spice blend’. The ‘hot’ is not necessarily referring to the kind of heat we find in hot chilies but to the fact that the spices are first roasted then ground. Another explanation given is that the combined effect of the spices in garam masala increases body temperature. Black pepper and cinnamon which are present in the garam masala carry some heat.

Different regions use different combinations of various herbs and spices. The blends also vary from household to household where proportions may vary according to whatever dish it is being used to season.

Ground garam masala is usually added at the end of cooking but I sometimes prefer adding garam masala along with other spices at the beginning of the cooking especially in the case of some meat dishes. This gives different color and flavor to the dish.

Garam Masala powder is easily available in Indian Grocery stores but homemade is more fragrant and fresher.

Garam masala is best made fresh just before cooking, but can be made ahead and stored for about 3 months in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Garam Masala Recipe I

This milder version of garam masala is based on the cumin and coriander in combination of sweet spices like cardamoms and cinnamon.

It can be added at the end of the cooking or may even be sprinkled to a dish after serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp green cardamom pods
• 1” stick of cinnamon

Method:

• Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Dry roast the peppercorns, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes until aromatic. Turn out into a bowl.
• Repeat with the remaining spices, roasting one at a time until fragrant and stirring to prevent burning.
• Once cooled, grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Sieve garam masala powder and discard fibers from the skin of the cardamoms.
• Store it in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Garam Masala Recipes:

1. Sabut Dal Mix
2. Chana Dal with Bottle Gourd
3. Paneer 65
4. Egg Kofta
5. Amla Sabji
6. Masoor Dal Kebabs

Garam Masala Recipe II

I use this recipe for Vegetarian dishes. All ingredients are easily available in Indian Grocery Stores.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cloves
• Cinnamon stick 2”
• 4 brown cardamom
• 2 bay leaves crushed
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp dry ginger powder

Method:

• Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients, one at a time, except the dry ginger, till they turn a few shades darker and fragrant. Stir them frequently to prevent burning.
• When the spices are roasted turn off the flame and allow them to cool.
• Once cooled, grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Sieve garam masala powder and discard fibers from the skin of the black cardamoms.
• Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Garam Masala Recipes:

1. Black-eyed Beans
2. Mah Ki Dal
3. Dum Aloo
4. Paneer Kofta Curry
5. Chicken Sagwala
6. 'Yolk Up' Egg Curry
7. Ghiya Ke Chhilke

Garam Masala Recipe III

This recipe makes more aromatic and hot garam masala. I prefer to use this garam masala powder in Mughlai non vegetarian dishes.

All ingredients are easily available in Indian Grocery Stores.

Ingredients:

• 10 brown cardamom
• 4 X 1” pieces of cinnamon
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp cloves
• 1 tbsp Kala Jeera (shahjeera)
• 2 tbsp dry ginger powder
• 1 small nutmeg
• 2 star Anise
• ½ tsp Mace (Javitri)

Method:

• Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients except the dry ginger, till they turn a few shades darker.
• Turn off the flame and allow them to cool.
• Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Sieve garam masala powder and discard fibers from the skin of the black cardamoms.
• Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place.

Garam Masala Recipes:

1. Keema Stuffed Tomatoes
2. Rogan Josh
3. Kidney Masala
4. Chicken Kadhai Wala
5. Ginger Chicken
6. Shahi Chicken Curry
7. Lamb Chops