Drying the herbs in the oven
cardamom pod shells
separating the cardamom seeds from the pod shells
From the oven
combined herbs prior to grinding
garam masala in the jar
Ingredients:
2 pieces cinnamon sticks (Asian, definitely not Mexican)
1/2 cup whole green cardamom pods
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1/4 cup whole black peppercorns
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200F.
Line a baking pan with low sides with foil and spread the herbs in a single layer on it. Place the pan in the heated oven and allow to cook for 30 minutes, stirring them occasionally making sure to not let any of them burn or color at all.
Remove the pan and allow to cool for a few minutes. Move the cardamom pods from the pan into a bowl in order to seed them. This is a little time-consuming but once you get the hang of it, should go fairly quickly. Some of the pods can be broken by hand but some may require a little help from a kitchen mallet though go slowly as the seeds could explode out of the pod if you're not careful. Extract the seeds from each pod and put aside until you're done. Meanwhile discard the pod shells.
Wrap up the cinnamon sticks in a kitchen towel and whack the towel with the flat side of a kitchen mallet in order to break them up into small pieces.
Combine all of the herbs in a bowl and stir to combine well. Add in batches about a half cup at a time into a spice grinder and grind to a powder. Combine all of the finished ground herbs into a glass jar to store and use for several months.
Tip: We discovered a good way to clean a spice grinder is to grind some rice in it between uses. Works really well.
