What is garam masala used for? What is this spice?

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What is garam masala used for? What is this spice?
What is garam masala used for? What is this spice?
Anonim

The most famous oriental spice is the euphonious name "garam masala". Its composition is very original. In such a spice, aromatic spices are collected, mixed together in various proportions. It is widely used in North India and a number of countries in South Asia.

garam masalu
garam masalu

In Hindi, the name means "hot spice mix". Almost all spicy herbs that are included in garam masala help to increase blood flow in the body. This, in turn, raises the body temperature, which keeps the person warm. In the winter season, the use of an exotic mixture will be indispensable, especially for those who are prone to colds.

Composition

The composition of the spice may include spices such as coriander, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, fennel, bay leaf. In addition, the presence of pepper is mandatory: black, allspice, chili. Variations of such a mixture as garam masala can be countless. All components are fried in a dry frying pan and, after cooling, are ground into powder.

How to do?

To get it rightTo prepare garam masala spices, you should follow some recommendations. It will be most convenient to do this by examining them with an example.

spices garam masala
spices garam masala

Taking two teaspoons of cumin seeds, coriander, cardamom and black peppercorns, place them in a pan. Add one cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaf to the mixture. It is better to take a frying pan with a thick bottom to ensure uniform heating of the food.

garam masala composition
garam masala composition

The fire should be small so that the heating occurs gradually. While roasting the spices, stir them continuously until they darken. The appearance of a pronounced aroma of spices indicates that it is time to remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. The whole process can take about fifteen minutes. It is not recommended to speed up frying by increasing the heat, otherwise this will cause the food to burn on the outside, remaining uncooked inside. You can also roast spices in a non-hot oven.

If you strictly adhere to the rules for preparing an exotic seasoning, then each ingredient should be fried separately, bringing it to a pleasant dark color. And only after that mix with each other and send for grinding.

Chilled mixture of spices grind in a mortar or grind in a coffee grinder. Add a teaspoon of nutmeg to the finished powder. The resulting seasoning usually has a sweet-spicy taste and a nutty smell. Depending on the composition of the ingredients, the color of the mixture may be brown with a greenish tinge.

You can cook yourselfseveral types of spicy powder intended for various dishes. The taste of pork will be well emphasized by the following composition of spices: cloves, black and white pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and bay leaf. For first courses and vegetable products, you need to additionally add dried fennel and ground cumin to the mixture.

Keep the spice in a tightly closed container, putting it in a dark and cool place. Under the right conditions, a spice such as garam masala can retain its properties throughout the year.

Use in cooking

The wide use of spices in cooking allows you to create wonderful flavor combinations. Exotic spice equally well emphasizes the natural taste of chicken meat, vegetable stews, salads, first courses. Sweet pastries are not complete without such spices. Garam masala is added to cookie dough, fruit filling for pies, batter. Drinks flavored with aromatic seasoning acquire a special taste. Spices are recommended to be added at the end of cooking or when serving.

garam masala culinary uses
garam masala culinary uses

Vedic cooking is not complete without a wonderful oriental seasoning, recommending it as an excellent way to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins.

Where else is it used?

In addition to the fact that garam masala is used in cooking, it is actively used in traditional medicine. The powder serves as a reliable prophylactic for colds and viral infections. It is permissible to use spices in the treatment of digestive diseases.tract, disorders of the nervous system. Garam masala is called a love spice because of its ability to heat the blood.

Feature

In India, spice mix can be bought almost everywhere. It is sold in factory packaging or by weight. The finished powder is packaged in a special package that preserves the flavor of the seasoning. Given that the finished product has been stored in warehouses for a long time, transported by transport, it can be assumed that it most likely loses its original taste properties over time.

Oriental traders roast the mixture and grind it into a fine powder right behind the counter. Many Indian women prefer to prepare the fragrant spice at home according to their own taste and special recipe.

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