Kerala Garam Masala
on Apr 23, 2025, Updated Jun 07, 2025
A fine mix of roasted spices like black peppercorns, star anise, nutmeg, and more, Kerala Garam Masala changes your ordinary curry or dal in a whiff! Use it in Kerala-style recipes or regular recipes.
Here are some more spice mixes that you can make at home and store for later use: Tikka Masala Powder, Chaat Masala Powder, Dabeli Masala, Achari Masala Powder, and Thandai Powder.
About Kerala Garam Masala
Kerala Garam Masala Powder is a version of the popular Indian spice mix garam masala prepared in the state of Kerala, India. It is immensely used in Kerala recipes and is known for its fantastic taste. Since I love Kerala cuisine and keep making many dishes from it, I thought of making a batch of this spice mix to elevate the taste of my recipes.
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.
Ingredients
To make this Kerala garam masala recipe, 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).
Make sure all the spices are of the best quality.
Buy the spices from a trusted seller. Sometimes, the oils are extracted from spices, and the poor-quality stuff is sold in markets.
How To Make Kerala Style Garam Masala
Dry roast the following ingredients on low heat until they are slightly browned and fragrant, stirring continuously.
- 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
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 at room temperature for up to a month. Store it in the freezer to increase its shelf life for up to 6 months.
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. In contrast, Kerala-style garam masala uses more black pepper and includes spices such as fennel seeds, star anise, and mace.
Usage Ideas
Sprinkle a teaspoon of this garam masala over Kerala-style curries or dal like Kerala Style Mutton Curry, Kerala Chicken Stew, Kerala Fish Curry, etc. It elevates their taste a lot.
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Kerala Garam Masala 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 at room temperature for up to a month. Store it in the freezer to increase its shelf life for up to 6 months.
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?
If you like a fine powder, then pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.
Good stuff.
Thanks