Best Raghavans Garam Masala Recipes

GARAM MASALA RECIPE

Steps:

• Cleaning spices is an important step as it increases the shelf life of your garam masala. So Clean the bay leaf and inner part of cinnamon stick with a dry or damp cloth to remove dirt.
• Break open the nutmeg and check for worms.
• Pick and discard stones and debris from all the spices.
• Heat a pan & add cardamoms, bay leaf, star anise, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cloves and pepper.
• Roast them on a low to medium heat without burning until they begin to smell good. Transfer to a plate.
• Then add coriander seeds and roast until they smell good. Transfer this as well to the plate.
• Then add fennel seeds, roast for 30 seconds then add cumin. Repeat roasting until cumin begins to smell good.
• Transfer to the same plate and cool completely.
• Add all of these spices to a spice grinder jar. Powder finely.
• Sieve and powder the coarse spices again. Then repeat the sieve.
• Store this garam masala powder in an air tight dry glass jar. You can use up the coarse bits of spices to make your masala tea.

THE BEST CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• For the chicken marinade: Whisk together the yogurt, ginger, salt, chili powder, garam masala, pepper, turmeric and garlic in a large bowl until combined. Toss the chicken in the spiced yogurt marinade until evenly coated. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24. (Overnight works best.)
• For the sauce: Melt the ghee in a large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and serrano, season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until very fragrant and the ginger starts to turn golden and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves, garam masala, chili powder and paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up into pieces with a spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and the tomatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Let the hot sauce cool for about 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender filling no more than halfway. (If your blender is small, you may need to work in batches.) Remove the center cap from the lid and place it on the blender. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and puree until creamy. Pour into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, position a rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside.
• Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the rack. Broil until the chicken starts to brown in spots, 3 to 6 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Remove from the broiler. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Top the chicken and sauce with cilantro. Serve with rice and naan.

RAGHAVAN'S CURRY BLEND

Steps:

• Grind dried chiles de arbol, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and cloves in a spice grinder (or a coffee grinder or high-powered blender) to the consistency of finely ground black pepper. Stir in turmeric. Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place up to 3 months.