A fine mix of roasted spices like black peppercorns, star anise, nutmeg, and more, Kerala Garam Masala Powder changes your ordinary curry or dal in a whiff! Use it in Kerala-style recipes or regular recipes (vegan, gluten-free).
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About Kerala Garam Masala
Kerala Garam Masala Powder is the Kerala version of the popular Indian spice mix, garam masala. It is immensely used in Kerala recipes and it is known to have quite a fantastic taste.
Made with a mix of roasted fennel seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, and green cardamoms, a pinch of this spice powder is enough to transport you to the seventh heaven with its flavors.
No Malabar recipe is complete without a dash of homemade garam masala sprinkled over it.
This spice mix is super easy to make and you can easily double or triple the recipe.
It is vegan and gluten-free too.
Here are some more spice mixes, that you can make at home and store for later use
- Tikka Masala Powder
- Chaat Masala
- Dabeli Masala
- Chai Masala
- Sandwich Masala
- Achari Masala
- Thandai Masala Powder
- Sambar Powder
- Cajun Spice Mix
- Oregano Seasoning
Ingredients
You will need fennel seeds (saunf), cloves (laung), black peppercorns (kali mirch), cinnamon (dalchini), star anise (chakri phool), mace (javitri), green cardamoms (hari elaichi) and nutmeg (jaiphal) to make this masala.
Make sure the whole spices are of the best quality.
Buy the spices from a trusted seller. Sometimes the oils have been extracted from the spices and the poor quality stuff is sold in markets.
How To Make Kerala Style Garam Masala
Dry roast
- ¼ cup fennel seeds
- 30-35 cloves
- 30-35 whole black peppercorns
- 2 cinnamon sticks, crushed
- 1 whole star anise
- 50-55 whole green cardamoms
- 1 whole nutmeg, crushed
- 1 whole mace flower
on low heat until they are slightly browned and fragrant, stirring continuously.
Remove the pan from heat and let the roasted ingredients cool completely.
Add them to a grinder and grind them to make a fine powder. Store the garam masala in an airtight container for up to a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference is in the type and quantity of spices used in each blend. North Indian garam masala typically contains spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, and black pepper, while Kerala-style garam masala uses more black pepper and includes spices such as fennel seeds, star anise, and mace.
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Recipe Card
Traditional Kerala Garam Masala Powder Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fennel seeds (saunf)
- 50-55 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 30-35 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 2 cinnamon sticks (dalchini) (crushed)
- 1 whole mace flower (javitri)
- 1 whole nutmeg (jaiphal) (crushed)
- 1 whole star anise (chakri phool)
- 30 – 35 cloves (laung)
Instructions
- Dry roast all the ingredients on low heat until they are slightly browned and fragrant, stirring continuously.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the roasted ingredients cool completely.
- Add them to a grinder and grind them to make a fine powder. Store the garam masala in an airtight container for up to a month.
Sandeep Menon
Good stuff.
Neha Mathur
Thanks
Shirley
Hai,
All your recipes are too good.
I just need one clarification.
When I powder Fennel Seeds and Cardamom, it is not getting powdered completely.
What to do? They always show up in the gravy and my husband doe not like that at all.
Any suggestions?
Neha Mathur
If you like a fine powder, then pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.