The recipe, which has won a Great Taste Award and has been kept secret within the family for over seven generations, has finally been shared for anyone who wishes to have a go at recreating it at home.

Spice Kitchen, a family-run business that is passionate about all things spice has today published its famous Garam Masala recipe after keeping it a secret for over 70 years.

The blend, a key component of the company’s Indian and World Spice Tins, was a deserving winner of a Great Taste Award back in 2015 when the business was starting out. Customers have long wondered what makes the blend so unique, and keen home cooks have regularly asked for guidance on making the famous recipe. However, the family have been eager to keep it under wraps. Until now.

It might seem like an unprecedented move to go public, however Sanjay – who co-founded Spice Kitchen in 2012 together with his mum Shashi – is on a newfound mission to demystify cooking with spices and empower people to experiment with flavour. And the decision to publish their family recipe is a massive part of this.

Sanjay explains: “It’s been a big deal. When I first spoke to my parents about this, they thought I was nuts. Why would we give away a recipe that has been passed through the generations, particularly when it’s a spice blend we sell at Spice Kitchen? But for me, the mystery around cooking with spices has to stop.”

He continues: “There seems to be this idea that spices are difficult to cook with, or that you have to have some special knowledge or history to get it right. It’s simply not true. Cooking with spices can be fun and easy, and it’s accessible to anyone and everyone willing to give it a try.”

From this perspective, it felt to Sanjay like the most natural step to bring down the mystery around their most famous Garam Masala spice blend. The recipe has been passed from Sanjay’s grandmother to his mum Shashi and then to him in more recent times.

Sanjay says of this: “Being born into a family who has always cooked with spices, I’ve benefited from all of this knowledge. But I’m aware that many people aren’t. Why wouldn’t I want to share what I know?”

He continues: “I love the idea of just being completely transparent around something that has previously been a best-kept secret. And why not? If it means that more people get to enjoy blending and roasting at home, then I feel like I am doing my job! Of course, the option is still there for anyone who wants to purchase a pre-made blend, but it’s super easy and fun to try it at home.”

Releasing the Garam Masala recipe is also part of a wider and more exciting move by the business ahead of their forthcoming cookbook release in 2023, in which they will share their knowledge on how to make not one, but ten of their family blends. Watch out for more news of this release in the weeks to come!

Fancy giving the Spice Kitchen Garam Masala recipe a go in your kitchen? Check out the recipe here.