So, this morning, I received a great comment from a true and tested follower of Cool Mama blog who pointed out to me that I had mentioned a mixture of spice in the last post and had not explained it’s content which would be confusing to those that are unfamiliar with it. Thanks a ton Shy for pointing that out.
so, for today’s post, I decided to list the composition of two commonly used spice mixtures in Indian Cuisine. Both can be readily purchased from an Indian Grocery store. But . . . as my mom always says, it does not measure up to the home made stuff. (And that is why, even to this day, she sends me my spices from Toronto!)
The first spice mixture is Dhana Jeeru (that is the one that I failed to explain in the post on ginger)
Dhana = coriander seeds
Jeeru = Cumin seeds
Dhana Jeeru is made by blending together equal amounts of the two in a coffee grinder dedicated to spices alone (otherwise your morning cup of Joe will taste very . . . hmmmmm…. “indianish”). To bring our more flavor of any spices, it is best to toast them in a frying pan for a few min. until they are fragrant, cool them and then blend them.
This and all spices are stored well in a air tight container for up to a month in the pantry and thereafter in the refrigerator. But, try to use it up within 6 months otherwise all the flavor will be lost and it won’t taste the same.
The second spice mixture is Garam Masala -
Garam = hot
masala = spices
Garam masala = mixture of hot (whoo hoo !!!) spices
The following will make about 2 oz. (adapted from Healthy Indian Cooking – 2007)
10 dried red chilies
3 X 2.5 cm cinnamon sticks
2 curry leaves
2 Tbs. coriander seeds
2 Tbs. cumin seeds
1 tsp. peppercorns
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
1/4 chili powder
Procedure
Dry roast the chilies, cinnamon and curry leaves in a frying pan for 2 min.
Add the rest of the spices and continue to dry fry until fragrant (the spices will turn darker as they release their oils)
Cool the mixture and blend it in the coffee/spice grinder.
store in an air tight container.
Both these spice mixtures are awesome to have handy if you cook Indian cuisine often.
Enjoy !!
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