Masala Newbie

[totient]

I made my own garam masala for the first time. I knew this day was inevitable two years ago when i started writing Indian food recipes, but also writing a garam masala recipe is an ... ambitious undertaking. I have figured out what some of the questions are. I have no idea what any of the answers are. The initial result isn't better than store bought, but it does avoid an allergen for a near future guest.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I've done a few of that sort of thing.

I made a version of the mixture that is sold as chili powder, a couple of weeks ago, because I discovered that I had run out (probably, before I spent two months in Montreal, going through my folks' apartment) after starting to make a pot of chili con carne.

Sometimes, to be able to say that I did it, once, rather than to try to produce a better version than what I can buy. Sausages, using two knives, rather than a grinder (they definitely didn't turn out better than with a grinder, oof). There was a complicated Thai curry paste that led me to decide that the cans and jars are good enough for me.

I posted about Ethiopian recipes that Ragnhildr and I tried (Ethiopian foodness is an emergent property), for our ninth anniversary but I no longer have access to that, because Livejournal.

On the obscure and unavailable ingredients front, I was ready to try to make nasi kerabu, like what we had in Malaysia, but a key ingredient is a particular blue flower. I have not found it for sale. Two different Malaysian restauranteurs, here, said that they could not get it for love or money. It's been over fifteen years. Maybe, I should try again.

[foms]

I seem to have replied without being logged in, again.

[jered]

Which component is the allergen? Coriander?

[totient]

Cinnamon, it turns out.

That's a tough one to omit from garam masala. I suspect my next few attempts will include it. Eventually I hope to know what I'm doing enough to be able to make changes on the fly.

[jered]

Huh! That's a relatively unusual one...