GARAM MASALA (about ¼ cup)

seeds from 10 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, just a few minutes.

2. Cool, then grind to a fine powder in a spice or coffee grinder. Store in a tightly covered opaque container for up to several months.

from Mark Bittman, The Best Recipes in the World