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Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 18, 2022 0:14:00 GMT -5
Today I updated my Indian spice mixes - something I always do in the fall, since the cold season is when I use them the most, and I throw out the small amounts left, as they are (mostly) ground spices, and I want fresh, for the upcoming season. Sambar masala and garam masala I use most, so they were made recently, and didn't need to be made again. I made some Panch Phoron - the simplest one to make, since it is all whole spices mixed together, without toasting. It is used in Bangali cuisine, and keeps very well, since it is not ground. It is simply 1 tb each cumin, nigella, black mustard seed, fenugreek, fennel, and celery seed. That's it! Spices for the Panch Phoron - black nigella, cumin, fenugreek, fennel, radhuni, and mustard seed. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Panch Phoron, super easy as the spices are just mixed together, whole, with no toasting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 18, 2022 0:42:24 GMT -5
The second thing I made was some Rasam Masala, which is a ground spice mix, used in S India in dishes called rasam, but it can be used in other dishes, too. This and the sambar masala I use the most, though I might find something else I like as much! Rasam Masala2½ tb black peppercorns 1½ tb cumin 2 tsp fenugreek 2 tb toor dal 30 cumin leaves 5 tb coriander seed 3 kashmiri peppers, cut into pieces 10 Thai peppers, or similar, cut up 1/2 tb turmeric A. Heat skillet over low heat, and add peppercorns, cumin, and fenugreek, and toss over the low heat for 2 min. Add toor dal and toss another 2 min. Remove to a plate to cool. Still over low heat, toss the curry leaves, until curled and crispy, about 2 min. Remove to plate. B. Over medium heat, toast coriander for 2 min., then remove to plate. Still over medium heat, toast the cut up chiles about 2 minutes, or until crisp, then remove to plate to cool. When all is cool, grind, with the turmeric added. Spices for the Rasam Masala, to be toasted, before grinding. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished Rasam Masala by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 18, 2022 1:17:09 GMT -5
A third masala I tried is one I haven't made before, and these last two I make by toasting them all in one pan at the same time, which looked easier! It is Pav Bhaji masala, which is from the Maharashtra state of India. As usual with these masalas, it takes longer to measure them out, than to cook! Pav Bhaji MasalaIn a 12" wok, combine the the following spices: 6 Kashmiri peppers, cut into pieces 4 Thai peppers, broken up 5 tb coriander seed 1 tb black peppercorns 5 cloves 2 tb cumin 1½ tb fennel 1" cinnamon, broken up 4 black cardamom pods, smashed Place over medium heat, and stir and toss for 2½-3 minutes, making sure the chiles don't burn. Remove to plate to cool. Measure out: 1 tb black salt 1 tb turmeric 2 tb amchur When plate has cooled, grind the spices, along with the powders. Place in a jar, and store up to 3 months, or in fridge. Spices for the Pav Bhaji, ready to toast all together, except for the powders. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Toasting the spices for the Pav Bhaji. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Toasted, cooled spices, for the Pav Bhaji, ready to grind. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished Pav Bhaji by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 18, 2022 1:51:43 GMT -5
The last one I made - Malvani Masala - is another spice mix from Maharashtra, and has the most spices, and they are tossed in a small amount of oil, like the variety of sambar masala I make, which gives it a totally different flavor. Malvani Masala4 tb coriander seed 1 tb dagad phool 1 tsp Szechwan peppercorns 1 tb black peppercorns 1/2 tb white poppy seeds 1 tb fennel 1 tb kala jeerah 1" stick cinnamon, broken up 1/2 tb mustard seed 4 green cardamom pods 2 large or 3 medium Indian bay leaves 2 star anise, broken 1/2 tb cumin 1 tsp blades of mace 5 cloves 8 kashmiri peppers, cut into pieces 8 Thai peppers, cut up 2 tsp oil Combine all of the spices and oil in a 12" wok, and mix to thoroughly coat everything with oil. Place over medium heat, and toss and stir for 3-4 minutes, or until spices are golden, and chiles are crispened. Scrape onto a plate, and grind, along with: 1 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg Store in a glass jar up to 4 months. All the spices and Chiles ready for toasting, for the Malvani Masala. by pepperhead212, on Flickr All of the spices for Malvani Masala, ready to mix with just 2 tsp oil, to coat everything, before toasting them. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Oiled spices for Malvani Masala, halfway through toasting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Toasted spices for Malvani Masala, cooling, before grinding. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished Malvani Masala by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by september on Nov 18, 2022 9:07:31 GMT -5
I can only imagine how delicious your kitchen must smell as you toast and mix the spices. Impressive work!
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Post by brownrexx on Nov 18, 2022 9:53:14 GMT -5
Yes, very impressive. I didn't realize that there were so many different masalas. I have only heard of garam masala.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Nov 18, 2022 11:33:32 GMT -5
Garam masala was the only one I knew about, too. And I can only imagine how fragrant your kitchen was after all of that spice-making. If it were me, I'd have to make some food right afterwards because the smell would make me hungry!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 18, 2022 15:12:58 GMT -5
The aroma of spices seemed to have mostly dissipated by the time I got up this morning. But when I went down in the basement, and came back up after a while, it was much more noticeable! Really strange...
It's unbelievable how many of those spice mixes there are, many also called podis, and, while we don't hear of them very often, there are also "wet" spice mixes, like Thai curry pastes. I didn't used to like garam masala, and the same with most Indian food I had tried, as it all seemed to have raw cinnamon added to it. It wasn't until I started making it myself, and toasting all those spices, that I started liking it, and making it frequently.
I'll make something with one of them for dinner today, with the smallest butternut squash in my batch, some of the tomatoes I have to trim, considerably, and maybe some of those dried eggplants. I'll post it later.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 15, 2023 23:52:45 GMT -5
I made another batch of that Malvini Masala powder today - that was my favorite of those two new varieties I tried, and I used it all up! Spices for the Malvani Masala powder, all toasted together with 2 tsp of oil. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Malvani Masala powder - spices cooked in a small amount of oil. by pepperhead212, on Flickr I also made another batch of the Chole Masala powder - something I really liked, and an Indian family I know really liked, so I ran out of that, too. I figured I'd measure all the spices out for both, toast them and cool them, and grind them, one after the other. Here's the recipe for the Chole Masala Two batches of spices are cooked for this, for different times. 2 black cardamom, smashed lightly 4 large or 6 medium tejpatta (Indian bay leaf), broken up some 3" piece Sri Lankan cinnamon, broken up 12 medium or 8 large Kashmiri peppers, torn into pieces 2 Thai peppers, broken up (option) The second batch will be cooked for less time: 4 tb coriander seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tb shahjeera (black cumin) 3/4 tsp blades of mace 1 tsp black peppercorns 2 tb cumin 1 tsp ajwain (carom) 8 whole cloves 2 tb pomegranate seeds In about a 10" skillet, cook the first spices over medium heat for about 4-5 min., stirring and tossing until the peppers and bay leaves are browning some. Pour these onto a plate to cool, then add the second spices, and cook 1 1/2-2 minutes, or until the coriander is browning slightly, and wisps of smoke are visible, then pour onto the plate, to cool. While cooling measure out the following powders: 1 tsp amchur (green mango) 1/2 tsp asafoetida 3/4 tsp ginger 2 tsp black salt 1 1/4 tsp salt When the spices are cool, grind to a powder, and mix with the powders. Makes a little over 1 cup. Stores up to 2 months, more when refrigerated. Spices for the Chole Masala powder, toasted in 2 batches. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Chole Masala powder by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jan 4, 2024 0:52:19 GMT -5
Tonight I was thinking of making something Indian, but got distracted by someone, then ended up eating leftovers again. But something I did make was a batch of rasam masala - a new recipe I found, that looked really good, and different. Here's the recipe I used, and didn't change anything - I always leave these kind of things the same, and only tweak them at later times, if necessary, and usually that's just adding heat. www.kannammacooks.com/udupi-rasam-powder-saaru-podi-powder/This looks similar to a favorite variation on sambar masala that I liked, using some oil on the spices, before toasting it in the pan over low heat. Gives a totally different flavor to the spices. Sort of a p.i.t.a. to grind, as it gets gummy, but it blends up eventually. It smells wonderful - I'll make something with it tomorrow! All of the spices for the rasam mix, except for the whole chili peppers. by pepperhead212, on Flickr The spices for the rasam powder, toasted, and cooling. by pepperhead212, on Flickr The Byadagi chilies, toasted separately from the other spices, and cooling, before grinding. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished Karnataka style Rasam Powder, about 1 1/4 c. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by pepperhead212 on Feb 19, 2024 19:12:41 GMT -5
I made two more masalas today - one, a garam masala, since I had used almost the end of my last batch of it, when I made that butter chicken recently. The other, a biryani masala, with very similar spices, in different proportions, and some mild Kashmiri peppers added, and a small amount of turmeric. Here are the sources for the recipes, and the only change I made was on the biryani, to which I added approximately 3 stone flowers (dagad phool), which was in another good recipe I made before. www.vegrecipesofindia.com/garam-masala-recipe-garam-masala-powder/#wprm-recipe-container-135523 The first of the two recipes here. www.tarladalal.com/biryani-masala-42034rThere's a method to my obsessive madness! Some spices roast/toast in the pans faster or slower, so I measure the similar types out into the same containers (or 2 containers, for larger amounts). Even over med-low flames, they toast fairly quickly, and at the end, I raise the heat a little, and toast the chilies, which I do with the Bayless method of pressing a couple of them down against the surface of the pan, 7 or 8 sec, then flipping them, and pressing again - my favorite way of toasting chilies. All the spices I used in the two masalas I made today, plus a few that I didn't use. LOL by pepperhead212, on Flickr All the spices measured out for the Biryani Masala (l), and the Garam Masala (r), 15 spices each. by pepperhead212, on Flickr All the masala spices pan roasted, Biryani on L, and Garam on R, the ones not roasted separate. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Biryani masala, on left, with the Garam masala, just ground. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by octave1 on Feb 19, 2024 19:59:25 GMT -5
You are so organized, pepperhead212! Oftentime I don't have any spice mix when I start "exotic" dishes, mostly because I seldom cook Asian and Caribbean dishes. But once in a while I like to eat something different, and Chicken Tikka Masala is a favorite here. I make the Masala myself combining whatever ingredients are listed online for that dish, and I really enjoy the result. Another mix I made is Jamaican curry, which is delicious and can be used for numerous dishes. I never add any hot peppers to my mixes because we are wimps when it comes to hot/spicy foods.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Feb 20, 2024 12:14:13 GMT -5
^ What she said. But I do enjoy reading about your cooking and the methods you use to get those authentic flavors.
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