Bell blend garam masala

Being a girl from Leicester, curry is almost part of my DNA. I remember my first ‘proper’ curry at the age of six and it was quite simply the beginning of a sensory love affair. Garam masala is a blend of spices; in India the composition differs according to region. Here’s my Leicestershire Bell blend but meddle away and produce your own.

INGREDIENTS

45g coriander seeds

10g cumin seeds

5g black peppercorns

3 cloves

3 green cardamom pods

5g fennel seeds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 dried bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks

METHOD

Fry the ingredients one by one in a dry frying pan over a medium heat – and open the windows and doors if the weather allows as the aroma can be a little overpowering in an airless setting. Start with the coriander seeds; once they’re a light brown colour tip them into a bowl away from the heat. Next toast the cumin seeds; once they start to colour add them to the bowl. Fry the peppercorns, cloves and cardamom pods together and once you see the pods start to lose their green colour add them to the bowl. Fry the fennel seeds and once you see them start to darken add them to the bowl. Lastly fry the ground cinnamon and bay leaves until they start to smell aromatic, then tip these into the pan. Leave to cool.

After 30 minutes the spices should be completely cool. Grind them all to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar or a mini food processor. Bag up the mixture with a cinnamon stick in each bag and use within 3 months.

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