Pantry Clean-Up: What to do with Garam Masala

When visiting Cape Cod, one of my favorite pilgrimages is to the Atlantic Spice Company, a wholesale distributor of high-quality herbs and spices. The deceptively stark warehouse is, on the inside, a Mecca for foodies. It is also the prime culprit of my pantry mayhem.

Whether it’s stocking up on discount staples, like salt and pepper, snatching up an item I’ve heard of, but never tried (this year it was bee pollen!), or shopping for a recipe-specific ingredient, I can’t get out of that place without an armload.

On a recent visit, I bought what I thought was a manageable-sized bag of garam masala in order to test a recipe for Indian Chana Masala, a traditional vegetarian dish of chickpeas stewed in tomatoes. The stew was awesome, but it only used up 2 teaspoons of the garam masala and since then, it has been sitting on the shelf, slowly fading in flavor and intensity. But this week I made a considerable dent, sprinkling the ground spice blend into everything from spinach to pie.

The biggest revelation was the addition of garam masala to sweet dishes. The sultry blend of coriander, cumin, clove and ginger, is an appealing substitute for traditional warm spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg. Even all-American apple pie is sweet on Mumbai.

Storage and Shelf Life of Spices
Store your spices in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. When properly stored, ground spices keep for about 2 years. The color and aroma of spices are indicative of their flavor; they fade with age. Toss out dull-colored or weak-smelling spices.

Spice Up Your…

Apple Pie: Replace apple pie spice with garam masala.

Roast Nuts: Toss cashews (or your favorite nuts) with EVOO, salt, brown sugar and garam masala.

Chicken Salad: Mix shredded rotisserie chicken with mayo, toasted almonds, chopped dried apricots and garam masala.

Creamed Spinach: Stir garam masala into your favorite creamed spinach recipe.

Pork Chops: Mix garam masala into breadcrumbs. Bread and pan-fry chops.

Bollywood Caramelized Apples
These luscious, spicy-sweet apples can go sweet or savory. Bake into a tart or turnovers, spoon over cheesecake or serve as a side dish with roast pork.

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

2 pounds apples, preferable gala, peeled and cored
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Halve apples and slice, lengthwise, 1/4-inch-thick.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, sugar, garam masala and lemon juice. Cook, turning occasionally, until the apples are well caramelized, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and toss in the remaining tablespoon of butter.

Makes 6 servings.

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3. Fall for Stew
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Comments

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pantry is due for a good cleaning,you lovely folks to join me in a Pantry Clean-Up.