Huffing Garam Masala and a Mini Recipe

Huffing Garam Masala made her eyes cross! Kept calling it a flower and going back for more sniffs. 

I knew I needed to start cooking more often instead of defaulting to dinner delivery when Savvy ate an entire $14 portion of Chicken Korma from our local Afghani restaurant. This kid's appetite is getting expensive and she loves heavily seasoned, fragrant South Asian food just like I do.

So I purchased a bottle of Garam Masala last time I shopped at Fairway. I didn't have any recipes in mind - I'm not patient enough to make my own curry unless it's from a jar - I just knew that the fragrant spice blend of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and mace would add some Indian flair to my usual go-to meals: roasted chicken or pan-sauteed steak.

Not at all authentic Indian, but I threw together a super-yummy Garam Masala marinade that is worth sharing:

Garam Masala Marinade

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1-2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (the only acid I had on hand)
Several shakes of Garam Masala
A few shakes of Garlic Powder
Salt/Pepper

I used this to marinate skirt steak in a shallow dish, so I flipped the meat a few times over the course of 15-20 minutes so it absorbed evenly. It tenderized the meat beautifully and was flavorful but not overpowering: The perfect hint of the international flavors I love but at a super cheapie home-cooked price.

I cooked the skirt steak in a pan over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Just enough time to throw a bag of Steamfresh veggies in the microwave, and dinner was cooked in less than 10 minutes!