Spice blends
- Thread starter Roper
- Start date
To add to Roper's post, buy your spices from a reputable spice house if possible. Don't expect quality results from supermarket stuff sold in tiny containers. Lots of online merchants that sell good stuff. If you are in the Portland area there might still be a Penzy's that you can walk into.
Admittedly, better to toast, grind, and blend yourself, but this stuff is pretty good.
thespiceway.com
Garam Masala - An Indian Seasoning Mix for Meat
GARAM MASALA - Masala is blend in Indian. This blend is an Indian traditional blend for meat with a combination of Cinnamon, ginger and coriander. A TRADITIONAL RECIPE - we are using our vast 30 years of experience to master the right ingredients and proportions of this traditional blend. A...
thespiceway.com
Much appreciated, Roper! A while ago, while on a Mexican food kick, I bought a nice stone mortar and pestle. This is a great excuse to start using it again.
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@Roper - thanks for starting this thread. Last month I stayed at a lodge on the Upper C - one of the hors d'oeuvres served was baked chicken enchiladas "bites": oh man, they were delicious (covered this topic slightly in another thread). The woman who cooked the dish promised to tell me about her blend of chili powders, but I got away without her 'secret' source. Then - I start reading other forum members who are buying bulk spices and grinding and mixing blends (like garam masala and chili powder). I've been stuck buying (how did Ive put it? Oh yeah "Don't expect quality results from supermarket stuff sold in tiny containers."). Maybe time to rethink........
Besides being relatively flavorless, those tiny bottles of spices are damn expensive.
A spice grinder, mortar and pestle, and a little effort yields a much better product for less money.
Bonus points if you can grow and dry your own, but the effort goes up on this part.
A spice grinder, mortar and pestle, and a little effort yields a much better product for less money.
Bonus points if you can grow and dry your own, but the effort goes up on this part.
Humor? No??
I have a mortar and pestle that I do use to crush fennel seeds and sometimes to try and crush cloves..... out of curiosity I looked at spice grinders and found that the old coffee bean (bladed) grinder I retired after buying a burr grinder will work as a spice grinder.Besides being relatively flavorless, those tiny bottles of spices are damn expensive.
A spice grinder, mortar and pestle, and a little effort yields a much better product for less money.
Bonus points if you can grow and dry your own, but the effort goes up on this part.
Don’t know their politics but in my view there’s no better source for spices and seasonings than:
www.myspicesage.com
Spices and Seasonings at Wholesale Prices - Shop My Spice Sage
Spices and seasonings at wholesale prices, including many unique and hard to find items MySpiceSage.com
www.myspicesage.com
Mine too. This, however, will sound crazy. I season fresh popped popcorn with just a hint of garam masala (amongst other seasonings). Thanks for cleaning up the thread.
It was interesting selecting different spice blends to see what all is in the mix. I like to fix tikka masala and saw they have a blend call the same. There are far more ingredients than the recipe I use. Thanks for this link.Don’t know their politics but in my view there’s no better source for spices and seasonings than:
Spices and Seasonings at Wholesale Prices - Shop My Spice Sage
Spices and seasonings at wholesale prices, including many unique and hard to find items MySpiceSage.com
I can't remember the last time I made popcorn, but that's a really, really good idea... and now I want to make popcorn!
One thing I have done as a kind of side dish is puffed rice toasted in a wok with garam masala. It is a similar experience to popcorn. Think like jumbo rice crispies.
That's something I'd never have thought of, huh. I might just try that!
Two other related blends I love and use almost as much:
Chaat Masala:
Ingredients
Rogan Josh:
Chaat Masala:
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, or saunf
- 1/4 cup dried mango powder, amchur powder
- 3 tablespoons black salt powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ajwain seeds, or carom seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/4 teaspoon asafetida powder, orhing
Rogan Josh:
Learn something new every day. I had no idea that there existed such a thing as a specialty spice vendor or that there are sources other than supermarkets that sell spices and herbs in tiny containers. I'd never heard of garam masala before reading this thread.
I use A LOT of the My Spice Sage blends and usually buy them in 16 or 4oz quantities which is drastically cheaper per ounce that the super market stuff. They come in heavy duty sealed zip bags so I just keep an amount for everyday use in shaker jars and the remainder in the freezer. No need to thaw and I just fill up the shaker jar when its low. Works with all spices, herbs and blends.