Garam masala goes in late
Garam masala is a blend of ground warm spices, often cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and black pepper. Every family has its own mix. Much of its aroma is volatile and escapes into steam, so stir it in near the end.
Add spices in two rounds
Whole spices go into hot fat early to build the base. The ground blend goes in at the end to finish. A cinnamon stick gives up its aroma slowly, so it can ride out a long simmer. Powder can't.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
When does ground garam masala give the strongest aroma in a curry?
Near the end, or off the heat. Short heat keeps more of the volatile aroma compounds in the dish.
True or false: Garam masala should simmer for an hour so its flavor blends in.
False. Volatile aromas escape with steam, so a long simmer leaves the blend dull and flat.
What went wrong? You fry ground garam masala in oil with the onions for twenty minutes. The curry tastes flat, with a bitter edge.
The ground spice scorched and lost its aroma. Fine powder burns quickly in hot fat, and its aromas escape with steam.
Fill the blank: Volatile aroma compounds ___ during long cooking, so the blend goes in late.
Volatile aroma compounds evaporate during long cooking, so the blend goes in late. They escape into the steam and air and leave the pot.
Why do ground spices lose their aroma faster than whole ones?
Grinding exposes more surface, so aroma escapes faster. Breaking spices up opens far more surface for aromas to leave.
True or false: A whole cinnamon stick can go in at the start of a long simmer.
True. Whole pieces release aroma slowly, so they hold up to a long simmer far better than powder.