Garam Masala – 90 Gms

Ammiji, an 89 year old woman in Amritsar, still cooks her own subzis. She can barely walk, but she will set up her high-stool in front of the kitchen hob, throw in magical stuff into her kadhai, and come up with the most soul-satisfying curries and subzis. Her cooking skills are considered legendary by her family, and her knowledge of spices will rival that of any professional masalchi.

But Ammiji had a secret – a secret that she never divulged to anyone in all her years of cooking and living. That secret was her blend of garam masala that she would pound just before she cooked an elaborate meal for guests or for a special occasion. Her family would ask her, “Why does the gobhi taste different today?” And she would blink at them innocently and ask, “Why? Does it taste bad?” And they would shake their head emphatically and reply, “No, no, it’s so much more tastier than what you regularly make.” She would then give a small, secretive smile and quickly change the topic.

That secret had to be coaxed out of her. She finally caved in last winter and said to her granddaughter, “Fine. Now that you did the chai masala, you might as well do this too. It’s not like I have a lot of years left in me. And who better than you to pass this on to…”

So here it is. After months of research and scouring the bylanes of Khari Boali, we bring you the Garam Masala blend that Ammiji amazed her guests with.

When you buy an Ammiji masala blend, you can be sure that you’re getting the highest quality of spices available (that was one of Ammiji’s conditions for using her recipes). You can be sure that the masala is made at home by Ammiji’s family – no one else gets to touch it. And you can be sure that what you have is pure gold. With love, from Ammiji.

Ingredients: Cumin, Cinnamon, Piper Longum, Coriander, Black Cardamom, Clove, Star Anise, Stone Flower, Green Cardamom, Mace, Ginger, Red Chilli, Nutmeg, Rock Salt.

Weight: 90 gms