Garam masala translates as ‘hot spice’ but a look at the ingredients would suggest something more savoury and subtle. It is usually added to a dish towards the end of the cooking process and will give dishes a perfumed lift when used this way.
It can be considered as being rather like pepper. Cook with it and use it to lift and season finished dishes.
Garam masala can be bought in supermarkets or, better, bought from Indian grocers. Like many of these spice mixes it is easy to make at home. Home-made garam masala will be fresher, stronger and much more pungent that the store-bought varieties. A link to our recipe is below.