Ingredients

Whole & Ground Spices:

20 hot Kashmiri chilies (or 125g hot chilli powder)

16 whole Cloves (or 1 tsp ground clove powder)

6 small cinnamon sticks (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon)

1 ½ tsp black peppercorns (or 1 tsp ground black pepper)

1 ¼ tsp dried cumin seeds (or 1 tsp cumin powder)

5 green cardamoms pods 

1 tsp turmeric powder

 Wet ingredients

16-20 cloves garlic  (approx 2 small heads garlic)

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

1 tsp tamarind paste (or a walnut-sized piece of dried tamarind, soaked in 2 tbsp warm vinegar and strained)

150 to 200ml white or coconut vinegar (for grinding)

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp palm jaggery or sugar

Cooking Steps

Step 1:  Grind the whole Spices
Place the dred chillies, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin seeds, cardamon seeds, and turmeric into a spice grinder.  Grind into a fine spice powder.

Step 2:  Soak the spices
In a small bowl, combine the fresh chopped garlic, ginger, tamarind paste,and ground spice mixture with 150ml of the vinegar.  Leave to soak for 30 minutes to soften.

Step 3:  Blend the Paste
Transfer the soaked mixture into a high-powered blender or food processor.  Blend until completely smooth, adding the remaining vinegar a little at a time if needed.  The final paste should be thick, smooth and glossy.

Step 4:  Season
Add the salt and palm jaggery (or sugar), then pulse again for a final 30 seconds to incorporate the seasoning.

Step 5:  Store
Spoon the masala paste into a clean, sterilised glass jar, seal tightly, and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.