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Huh. TIL. The (Hindu) woman who taught me a few Indian recipes told me that the spices in garam masala were always pre-roasted, with the exception of the nutm

Huh. TIL. The (Hindu) woman who taught me a few Indian recipes told me that the spices in garam masala were always pre-roasted, with the exception of the nutmeg. Maybe it's a regional thing?

dragonwriter 4y ago
Most source I’ve seen has favored roasting spices for garam masala before grinding, but some have noted that there are some recipes that don’t.
zffr 4y ago
“Always” is a stretch. Like the other commenter mentioned, “garam” just refers to the type of spices used. These spices would be referred to as “garam masala” even if kept whole and unroasted. Some recipes call for tempering whole pieces of garam masala directly in oil instead of adding powdered garam masala at a later stage in cooking. The reason most people will use powdered garam masala is that it is much more efficient. A little powder can provide similar flavor as many whole spices.
- OJFord 4y ago
  GP is talking about dry-roasting whole spices prior to grinding them into a powder, not tempering. Without getting into a flavour debate, it undeniably makes some (e.g. cumin) a lot easier to powder finely.
hackernewds 4y ago
I think to claim either side entirely is inaccurate. Only a Sith deals in absolutes
chimeracoder 4y ago
> Huh. TIL. The (Hindu) woman who taught me a few Indian recipes told me that the spices in garam masala were always pre-roasted, with the exception of the nutmeg. > Maybe it's a regional thing? It's regional insofar as the exact constituents of garam masala are regional - nutmeg, for example, is a pretty regional one and not super widespread. It can be roasted, raw, or ground, depending on which stage you're using it in.
yumraj 4y ago
There may be differences but some of the main/common ingredients in garam masala are: Black cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg etc. Again, regional differences aside, I don’t believe any of those are roasted beforehand. At least the garam masala that I’m familiar with is like that.
- geocar 4y ago
  You should try toasting all your spices before you grind and mix them: It only takes a few extra minutes and it adds so much extra flavour, I really miss it when the spices aren't toasted. Seriously. Google search how to toast spices, it could change your life. If you're buying powder this has either already happened or it is too late.
  - greenhearth 4y ago
    I came to conclusion that roasting makes no difference, unless you are a supertaster or something.
    - geocar 4y ago
      ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don’t know. Is a raw onion as good as a nice caramelised one? Maybe some people think they’re just different. Maybe it’s like coke and pepsi. Maybe they taste no difference at all. Or maybe just with some spices. Maybe some people even like the mix of toasted and non-toasted. Whatever their preference it is because it’s their preference, and so that’s the recipe they hand down to their kids. I’m just saying you should try the caramelised onion, and don’t just stick to the raw ones because that’s the recipe you know.
      - greenhearth 4y ago
        I don't believe this is a good analogy. The amount of sugars in an onion is definitely not the same as in a seed of the cilantro plant for example. So the reactants would be different and so would be the product. This is evident by the amount of time needed for cooking, where to caramelize an onion takes a relatively long time. I think toasting spices can vaguely round out flavors, but doesn't really bring about a dramatic change.
quetzthecoatl 4y ago
regional and dish thing. For some dishes we roast, and for some, we don't.

Huh. TIL. The (Hindu) woman who taught me a few Indian recipes told me that the spices in garam masala were always pre-roasted, with the exception of the nutmeg. Maybe it's a regional thing?

dragonwriter 4y ago

Most source I’ve seen has favored roasting spices for garam masala before grinding, but some have noted that there are some recipes that don’t.

zffr 4y ago

“Always” is a stretch. Like the other commenter mentioned, “garam” just refers to the type of spices used. These spices would be referred to as “garam masala” even if kept whole and unroasted. Some recipes call for tempering whole pieces of garam masala directly in oil instead of adding powdered garam masala at a later stage in cooking. The reason most people will use powdered garam masala is that it is much more efficient. A little powder can provide similar flavor as many whole spices.

OJFord 4y ago
GP is talking about dry-roasting whole spices prior to grinding them into a powder, not tempering. Without getting into a flavour debate, it undeniably makes some (e.g. cumin) a lot easier to powder finely.

hackernewds 4y ago

I think to claim either side entirely is inaccurate. Only a Sith deals in absolutes

chimeracoder 4y ago

> Huh. TIL. The (Hindu) woman who taught me a few Indian recipes told me that the spices in garam masala were always pre-roasted, with the exception of the nutmeg. > Maybe it's a regional thing? It's regional insofar as the exact constituents of garam masala are regional - nutmeg, for example, is a pretty regional one and not super widespread. It can be roasted, raw, or ground, depending on which stage you're using it in.

yumraj 4y ago

There may be differences but some of the main/common ingredients in garam masala are: Black cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg etc. Again, regional differences aside, I don’t believe any of those are roasted beforehand. At least the garam masala that I’m familiar with is like that.

geocar 4y ago
You should try toasting all your spices before you grind and mix them: It only takes a few extra minutes and it adds so much extra flavour, I really miss it when the spices aren't toasted. Seriously. Google search how to toast spices, it could change your life. If you're buying powder this has either already happened or it is too late.
- greenhearth 4y ago
  I came to conclusion that roasting makes no difference, unless you are a supertaster or something.
  - geocar 4y ago
    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don’t know. Is a raw onion as good as a nice caramelised one? Maybe some people think they’re just different. Maybe it’s like coke and pepsi. Maybe they taste no difference at all. Or maybe just with some spices. Maybe some people even like the mix of toasted and non-toasted. Whatever their preference it is because it’s their preference, and so that’s the recipe they hand down to their kids. I’m just saying you should try the caramelised onion, and don’t just stick to the raw ones because that’s the recipe you know.
    - greenhearth 4y ago
      I don't believe this is a good analogy. The amount of sugars in an onion is definitely not the same as in a seed of the cilantro plant for example. So the reactants would be different and so would be the product. This is evident by the amount of time needed for cooking, where to caramelize an onion takes a relatively long time. I think toasting spices can vaguely round out flavors, but doesn't really bring about a dramatic change.

quetzthecoatl 4y ago

regional and dish thing. For some dishes we roast, and for some, we don't.