Hi everyone, welcome to mumnums. I’m so pleased to see you 😊
I thought it'd be useful if I posted a couple of spice mixtures that are used frequently in Indian cooking.
As you know, Indian cuisine is full of flavours and out of this world aromas, which all come from spices.
There are hundreds of variations of different powders or masalas, all blended together, but the ones that are most common in recipes are Indian 5 Spice and Garam Masala,
Next time you make a curry dish, try mixing your own masala, you'll be surprised how different it tastes, so much more flavour. The main difference will be that your masala won't have been standing around for an age so will be fresher. Try it and let me know what you think.
Panch Pooran or Indian 5 Spice
Panch pooran can also be called Indian 5 Spice, used in many Indian dishes.
I was cooking something one day and I had run out of panch pooran, so had a look at the ingredients on the packet, and thought, I could make it myself as I had all the ingredients to hand.
Panch Pooran only consists of 5 spices, as the name suggests.
I needed a couple of tablespoons of ground Panch Pooran and thought I shouldn’t make too much, as it’d just lose its flavour if stored for too long as a powder. So, I made up the following quantities:
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1 ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
Mix all the seeds and use a coffee grinder to whizz into a fine powder… Hey presto!!
To release even more flavour, you can dry roast the spices a little, in a heavy skillet, before grinding them.
You can use this in so many ways. Use the whole seeds for shaak (curry) like potato or veg – use the whole seeds put into the hot oil and crackle before you add the rest of the ingredients.
Add the powder to dishes to spice up your food for things like Matar Paneer, dahls and soups, etc.
I only cook vegetarian or vegan food, but I’m sure you could add to other dishes too.
Use your imagination, just try it 😊 you might love it!! Then, let me know what you used your panch pooran in, I’d love to know.
Garam Masala
Garam masala is a blend of spices that can be individual to a region or even a family. Or, they can be mass-produced for supermarkets.
Garam masala can be a very personal blend of spices and it depends on the tastes that you prefer, so why not make your own fresh garam masala as you need, it’s the best way to keep it fresh and full of the intoxicating aroma, I g.uarantee you'll taste the difference
It doesn’t take long, making it to order, you’ll always get the optimum flavour.
There’s a basic recipe you can start with, and stick with if you like it, but you can always chop and change for different dishes. The beauty of making your own is that if there’s a certain flavour you like or don’t like, you can add more of a spice, or omit altogether.
Basic Garam Masala
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp black peppercorn
1 tbsp cardamom pods
10 cm cinnamon stick broken into a few pieces
4 bay leaves
1 tsp whole cloves
Optional:
fennel seeds
star anise anis
nutmeg
Mace
There are many other spices, that I haven't tried, but if you want to, just try and see how it turns out.
Method
1. Roast all ingredients for a few minutes in a heavy pan or skillet
2. Keep tossing till it changes colour slightly and you can smell the aroma of the spices
3. Leave to cool and then grind in a spice or coffee grinder
4. Store in an airtight container
I hope you give making your own masalas a try, if you do, you won't go back to the readymade packets.
Make sure to let me know how you enjoyed making your own masalas in the comments below, I'd be really interested 😊
Happy Cooking and see you again soon 💖
