Pakistani / North Indian Garam Masala

This is my Pakistani Garam Masala recipe for all you Pakistani and North Indian food lovers. It is my most sought-after spice mix recipe on the blog! A sprinkle of this enhances the flavours deeply in any curry.

Every South-Asian family has their blend of garam masala recipes handed down, like my mom's Malabar garam masala recipe. But being a South Indian, I make batches of this Pakistani garam masala recipe more often than our own. I go through a jar in a few months because I use it in all the North Indian dishes too. It is more or less the same basic ingredients and you should already know F and I are sucker for Pakistani food.

Jump to:

• What is garam masala?
• My two jars of garam masala
• Ingredients List
• How to make it?
• No toasting required
• Where to use this Garam Masala?
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments

What is garam masala?

Garam masala translates to hot or warm spices, which is a spice mix unique to a cuisine or region of India and Pakistan. Selected whole spices are ground together to a not-so-fine texture.

My two jars of garam masala

I got this recipe from a Pakistani friend, and I realized it is very similar to North Indian garam masala too. When I say North India, I am referring to rest of the India that is not south. (like they call us madrasi! ifykyk).

But in reality, there are several garam masala recipes all across India. So, to keep things simple in my everyday cooking, I just keep two jars of garam masala, one for south and the other for all non-south-indian and Pakistani food. 🙂

So don't come at me if you find this recipe is not your family recipe.

Ingredients List

This is a basic Pakistani garam masala recipe with just 6 whole spices. This is enough to make your Shami Kebabs and Aloo Gosht yummier.

• Black peppercorns
• Cumin seeds
• Coriander seeds
• Black cardamom: If you cannot source this, you may use a few green cardamom, but it lacks the smoky, hot flavour of the black.
• Cloves
• Cinnamon stick

Refer to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this page for the complete list of ingredients and exact measurements.

How to make it?

Measure the spices, add them to your spice grinder and pulse it a few times. Do it in batches so that the equipment doesn't get heated up.

Spread the ground garam masala on a plate to cool. Lastly, transfer it to a clean and dry jar.

Store in your kitchen cabinet. Always use a dry spoon. Use it as a finishing spice to curries and biryanis for that oomph factor.

No toasting required

Unlike most recipes out there, I don't toast the whole spices before grinding. I find that toasted garam masala powder is best to use immediately. If you are making a batch to see you through a couple of months, then toasting is not a good idea. So, to increase their shelf life, I grind without toasting.

While here, I would like to share that I do have a Middle Eastern version of garam masala called Baharat spice mix.

Where to use this Garam Masala?

You can use this Pakistani or North Indian garam masala in most of the recipes listed in this category.

📖 Recipe Card