Not the Usual Holiday Spice: Garam Masala

Garam masala is a classic spice mix in Indian cooking, but this mix of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and other spices also includes the warm and cozy flavors we usually associate with the holidays. This year I've pushed aside my bottle of pumpkin pie spice and am experimenting with the comforting but slightly more exotic taste of garam masala.

It all started with a batch of spiced almonds. Looking for an interesting way to season them before I popped them in the oven, I grabbed the bottle of garam masala. As the almonds toasted, the whole house filled with the scent of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. It was the smell of the holidays, I realized, with a compelling undercurrent of cumin, coriander and cardamom. The almonds were addictively good, and just as familiar-yet-intriguing as the scent of toasting garam masala.

Since then I've been adding garam masala to everything that could use a little autumnal flair: homemade applesauce, hot toddies, bowls of oatmeal. Since I grind the spice mix from scratch using Faith's recipe (minus the chiles), the mix has the added benefit of being very fresh, so the flavors are even more pronounced. Next I'd like to tackle a few classic holiday desserts like pumpkin pie and gingerbread, swapping out the usual spices for garam masala.

Do you cook with garam masala? How do you like to use it?

Related: Beyond Pie: Pumpkin Pie Spice

(Image: Anjali Prasertong)

Comments (13)

I like it sprinkled on plain popcorn. Yum

Try it in chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

I love garam masala, but have never used it outside of recipes that call for it. This is very inspirational! Can you tell me more about your almond-roasting method?

I used in on my roasted pumpkin seeds at halloween (with butter and brown sugar- yum!).

A traditional holiday dessert in my family is curried fruit; pears, peaches, cherries, etc. baked with brown sugar, butter, and curry powder (it's a holdover from the canned-fruit-and-mixes school of cooking and has been tweaked a bit over the years). I've substituted garam masala with wonderful results.

I used Garam Masala for the first time a few weeks ago, in a roasted tomato, garlic and onion soup that was thickened with coconut milk - I am here to tell you, it was amazing. I also love it in butternut squash soup with a little bit of indian curry powder - it gives you a savory soup, instead of that usual nutmeg-y thing.

@molly_s: I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts (in Around My French Table) as a guideline, subbing in garam masala for the chili powder. The technique is basically the same as in this recipe for cinnamon almonds: you mix the spices, salt and sugar with egg white, toss with the nuts and bake in the oven until they are toasted. I used raw whole almonds. So good!

I'm loving all the garam masala ideas -- keep them coming!

Delicious on braised chicken legs.

I have been using my fresh Garam Masala mix in apple pies for a couple of years now. Much better than just cinnamon. Sometimes I omit cumin and/or coriander, but depends on how much was in there in the first place.

I try to to flog my blog in comments, but I just wrote a similar post about using Chinese Five Spice in unexpected ways: http://fourseasonskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/11/chinese-five-spice-powder.html

When I first got gram masala, I found myself misusing just as described above, in oatmeal cookies, apple galettes, oatmeal, pancakes, swedish meatballs- stuff like that. The peppery edge it has gives sweet stuff a little bite, and a little more complexity.

I have been using it for years as my holiday spice. Just did an apple chutney with it, and my pumpkin tea cake every year is a hit. It's awesome in pumpkin pie too.