Homemade Garam Masala Spice

So tonight we made Butter Chicken for dinner.  It's one of our family's favorite Indian dishes, and if you've never made a foray into Indian cuisine, it's a great recipe to start with.  One of the ingredients it calls for is Garam Masala, which is Hindi for "Hot Spices."  It's a blend of ground spices commonly used in Northern Indian and some Asian cuisine.  The "hot" part actually refers to the intensity of the spices rather than a heat content, making this the perfect seasoning for all sorts of palates.  As Mr. Devilish Dish and I were gathering the ingredients from the pantry he said, "Where's the Garam Masala?" and I said, "I don't know.  It's in there.  I thought you bought it at the international pantry."  To which he replied, "I thought you bought it at Central Market."  The moral of the story is NO ONE bought Garam Masala and we were out.  Not to worry.  It's just a spice blend, easily mixed up from spices you may already have on hand.  Give the Butter Chicken a try.  It will only take you a minute to whip up this fragrant spice mixture!

Garam Masala:  Make this aromatic spice blend yourself!

Homemade Garam Masala Spice

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine the spices in a small bowl.  Store in a spice jar or other air-tight container.

Prep Time:  Approximately 5 minutes     Cook Time:  0