I’m not too fond of excessive cinnamon in savoury dishes, although I like a hint where appropriate. Unfortunately the last few jars of garam masala I have bought have been too heavy on the cinamon, so I decided to mix my own. This is adapted from a BBC Good Food recipe and it is perfect (in my opinion).
Heat a dry skillet and dry-fry the following whole spices:
- 2 tbs coriander seed
- 1 tbs cumin seed
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cardamom seeds (you’re going to have to open 20 pods with your fingernails here)
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 0.5 tsp whole cloves
- 4 dried bay leaves (or fresh, they will dry in the cooking)
Haet until they give off a fragrant smell, but don’t burn them. Add
- 0.5 tsp to 2 tsp ground cinnamon depending on cinnamon tolerance
Tip the lot into a spice grinder and grind to a powder. Perfect in Chicken Biryani