A question about garam masal and the famous lentil potato stew

[Laura]

So I bought some garam masala on Saturday with the intent of making this stew. I wasn't overwhelmed with the aroma of the spice mixture. I guess I was thinking it would be more "spicy" based on its name and this seemed almost more sweet. I just bought the WF organic brand. Are there different kinds of garam masala that would be spicier, or does it have a sweeter undertone?

[jtoepfert100]

I was surprised that mine was sweet smelling, too, but I liked it. While not a spicy dish, the stew did have an undercurrent of heat. If you like things super spicy, I'd put in more cayenne.

[mom2garret]

Ditto on the garam masala. I too was expecting a spicy taste to it. I didn't spice up the recipe though and it was really good.
Jodi

[Aubergine]

garam masala, like "curry," is not a specific and standard thing. cooks in India each have their own blend of ingredients, according to their (and their family's) tastes. since you folks are talking about "sweet," my guess is that the packaged g/m blends you bought are geared toward the american taste expectation, which isn't necessarily bad; one can always add other ingredients (and i wasn't thinking of salt; more like cumin).

i work with two garam masalas; one, i bought in an indian grocery; the other, i cobbled together using a few recipes, including one here.

[mom2garret]

Thank you for clarifying it for me. I really didn't know about the difference. Maybe when I make the recipe again I will add some other seasonings and see which way I pefer. :)
Jodi

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by Aubergine
since you folks are talking about "sweet," my guess is that the packaged g/m blends you bought are geared toward the american taste expectation, which isn't necessarily bad;

I don't know if I necessarily agree. Specific to the one Jen uses (since I use the same one), it's from an Indian grocery store and is definitely an Indian product, not an Americanized one. That said, no, it is not particularly spicy, but does have a very unique scent all its own. :)

[Judy K.]

I made the Lentil and Potato Stew using a garam masala I bought in bulk at the local food co-op. The stew was spicy when I made it originally. After freezing for a couple of weeks, it was downright hot. Maybe the stews will be spicier as leftovers.

[rhondac]

I don't think garam masala is supposed to be HOT spicy. It's a sweeter taste with a bite. Take a taste of just that on your tongue and let it sit there and dissolve. Mine sorta tasted cinnamon/ginger/clove with a little afterbite of heat.

Coriander, green cardamom, black peppercorn, cinnamon, caraway, charmushka, ginger, cloves and nutmeg is what it says on my label.little

[Aubergine]

point well taken, Missindi, but even pre-packaged Indian g/m's bought at Indian grociers will vary. i'd call mine "earthy" more than "sweet."

here is what i found:

Madhur Jaffrey, World Vegetarian

GARAM MASALA

"This spice combination varies with each household, though the name seems constant. Garam means "hot" and masala means "spices" so the spices in this mixture were traditionally those that "heated" the body according to the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine. They all happened to be highly aromatic as well.

Here is how you make a classic ground mixture: Combine in a clean coffee grinder (or spice mill):

1 Tbs cardamom seeds
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp whole black cumin seeds
a 2-inch stick of cinnamon
1/3 of a whole nutmeg
a curl of mace

Grind to a fine powder. Store in a tightly closed jar and use as needed. Many people add a bay leaf to the nixture. Generally, though not always, garam masala is sprinkled toward the end of the cooking time to retain its aroma.

Recipes where the strong aromas of my cardamom-filled mixture are not required call for store-bought garam masala ... The milder commercial version ... tends to be heavy on the cheaper coriander and cinnamon."

fwiw, the g/m that Penzeys sells contains: coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, kalonji, caraway, cloves, ginger, nutmeg.

let's not forget about the cayenne in the recipe, folks, which is where the "heat" really comes from. and yes, people have repeatedly said that the leftovers taste "hotter."

[jtoepfert100]

Originally posted by MISSINDI


I don't know if I necessarily agree. Specific to the one Jen uses (since I use the same one), it's from an Indian grocery store and is definitely an Indian product, not an Americanized one. That said, no, it is not particularly spicy, but does have a very unique scent all its own. :)

Actually, we don't use the same garam masala because I just got mine from Penzey's. We have the same chaat masala, which I have yet to use - although I'm kicking around having your Chicken Salad for dinner tonight.:)

[MISSINDI]

You're right. I got my masalas (or yours!) confused. Well, I would suspect the Penzey's one is a little Americanized, but still the Indian version isn't spicy.

Make the chicken salad -- you'll like it, and it's so simple.

[Salsera]

It's normal that your garam masala would have a sweet undertone, regardless of where it came from. Garam masala is traditionally a ground mixture of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and other "sweet" spices. If heat is what you're looking for, you'll need to add chilies or chili powder.