Kopan Masala - Tibetan Garam Masala

Kopan Masala is a Tibetan Garam Masala and comes from the Kopan Monastery in the Kathmandu valley of Tibet. Kopan Masala is a sweet blend of spices used in many Tibetan dishes. In many cases, Kopan Masala can be substituted for/with Garam Masala. When grinding the spices together, preferably with a Mortar and Pestle, the important thing to remember is not to grind them too finely. The finished result should resemble rough grains of sand.

Ingredients for Kopan Masala

25 Cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks, broken
15 Green Cardamom seeds (removed from pods)
10 Black Cardamom seeds (removed from pods)
60 gm Cumin seeds
80 gm Coriander seeds
5 gm Black Pepper corns
1 Large pinch of freshly grated Nutmeg

Method

1. Put all the spices except the Cloves, Cinnamon and Nutmeg into a dry wok or frying pan over a medium heat until their aroma is released.

2. Remove the spices from the pan and allow to cool.

3. Grind all the spices together, adding them one by one, hardest first, using a Mortar and Pestle or Spice Grinder, taking care not to grind too finely. Store in an air-tight jar.