Tea Spice Powder ( Chai Masala)

Chai masala powder gives a nice taste and aroma to the tea. It has lots of health benefits too due to presence of useful spices. This is useful to relief in fever and cure sore throat. This is very easy to make as all the ingredients are mostly available in our kitchen. This masala can be added in the milk.

Ingredients:

• Cinnamon (dalchini), cut into small pieces- ¼ cup
• Cloves (laung)- 2 tbsp
• Black peppercorns (kalimirch)- ¼ cup
• Green cardamom (elaichi)- ¼ cup
• Nutmeg (jaiphal), grated- 1
• Dried ginger powder (soonth)- ¼ cup
• Dry basil leaves (tulsi)- 10 (optional)

Method:

• Dry roast the cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and cardamom for 5 minutes on low heat. Cool completely.
• Add the nutmeg and ginger powder basil leaves and grind to make a fine powder.
• Cool completely and store in an air-tight container.
• Use as required. Use approx ¼ tsp for each tea cup.

चहाचा मसाला.........चहा मसाल्याने चहाला छान चव आणि वास येतो. शिवाय औषधी सुद्धा आहे.  पावसाळ्यात किंवा थंडीत नेहमीचा चहा पिण्याऐवजी आल्याचा चहा प्यावासा वाटतो. घरात आलं नसेल तर मसाला टाकून ती तलफ भागवता येते. हा चहा खवखवणाऱ्या घशाला आणि मरगळलेल्या मनाला आराम देतो. 

साहित्य:

• सुंठ- १/४ कप 
• लवंग- २ टेबलस्पून  
• काळी मिरी- १/४ कप 
• दालचिनी, छोटे तुकडे करून किंवा कुटून- १/४ कप 
• वेलची- १/४ कप 
• जायफळ, किसुन - १ अख्ख 
• सुकलेली तुळशीची पाने- १० (ऐच्छिक)  

कृती:

• जायफळ आणि सुंठी शिवाय बाकी सगळे मसाले थोडे थोडे भाजून, थंड होऊ द्यावे. 
• तुळशी पाने, सुंठ आणि जायफळ पूड त्यात घालून मिक्सर मधून काढावे. 
• थंड झाल्यावर हवाबंद डब्यात हा मसाला  ठेवावा. अगदी वर्षभर छान टिकतो. 
• चहाच्या एका कपाला साधारण १/४ टीस्पून एवढा घालावा.  दुधात टाकून पण छान  लागतो. (चहात किंवा दुधात टाकून उकळावा.)    

टीपा:

• वर दिलेल्या मसाल्याच्या पदार्थांच्या तयार मिळत असलेल्या पावडर एकत्रित करून सुद्धा झटपट मसाला करता येईल. 
• सुंठीचे प्रमाण तिखटपणा किती हवाय, यावर अवलंबून आहे. प्रमाण वाढवले तरी चालेल.  
• औषधी गुणधर्म वाढवायचे असतील तर २ टेबलस्पून पिंपरामुळ पूड घालावी.  
• कॉफी ग्राईंडर असेल तर उत्तम. त्यात छान दळला जातो हा मसाला. 

Malwani Masala

Many people asked me for this recipe. I got this recipe from my Malvani friend. Malvan city is in a Sindhudurg district. Our origin native place is in Ratnagiri district which is on its side. So our homemade masala is very similar in taste.

हि पाककृती मराठीतून वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा.  

Ingredients:

• Dry Sankeshwari chili- 1 kg
• Dry Bedagi chili- 1 kg
• Dry Kashmiri chili- 100 gm (optional- only for bright red colour) 
• Coriander seeds- 250 gm
• Poppy seeds (khas-khas)- 250 gm 
• Cinnamon sticks (Dalchini)- 20 gm
• Cloves- 20 gm
• Mace (javitri)- 10 gm
• Nutmeg- 2 whole
• Whole dry Turmeric root (Halkund)- 100 gm
• Cumin seeds (Jeera)- 50 gm
• Caraway seeds (Shahi jeera)- 25 gm
• Black pepper corns (Miri)- 20 gm
• Star anise- 10 gm
• Stone flower (Dagad ful)- 10 gm
• Fennel seeds (badi sounf)- 100 gm
• Black cardamoms (Badi or masala elayachi)- 10 gm
• Bay leaves- 10 gm
• Asafetida (Hing) cube– 50 gm
• Groundnut oil- very little... as required for frying

Method:

Sun-dry all spices including chilies for 3 to 5 days.

Discard the steams of chilies. Clean all spices by straining, picking etc. Discard impurities and unwanted things if any. 

Break the turmeric root, nutmeg and asafetida.

Heat little oil in a pan and roast every ingredient on low flame individually continue to roast till a nice aroma is given out. 

Cool and grind to a powder. Cool and store in airtight containers at dry and dark place.

Keep a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the stored masala's container for long time fresh.

Garam Masala

This garam masala is used for especially in Punjabi Dishes and meat recipes.

Ingredients:

• Black pepper corns- 20 gm
• Cloves- 10 gm
• Cinnamon sticks- 20 gm
• Black cardamoms (Badi elayachi)- 15 gm
• Caraway seeds (Shahi jeera)- 5 gm
• Cumin seeds- 10 gm

Method:

• Dry roast all ingredients one by one on low flame individually continue to roast till a nice aroma is given out. Do not burn anything, all masala will ruined. 
• Cool and grind together all spices to a powder. 
• Cool and store in airtight container. 

Oriental Style Curry Powder

This easy recipe for Homemade "Curry Powder" creates Southeast-Asian dishes........but I think we may use as "Garam Masala". In egg curry, it tastes awesome.  

Ingredients:

• Coriander seeds- 4 tsp
• Cumin seeds- 2 tsp
• Whole black peppercorn- 1 tsp
• Cloves- 3
• Black or green cardamom- 2 (take only seeds)
• Cinnamon stick- ½ inch
• Turmeric powder- 2 tsp
• Dried ginger powder (sunth)- ¼  tsp
• Red chili powder- 1 tsp

Method:

• Combine all ingredients and grind them into smooth powder.
• Store this spice mixture in airtight container in cool dry place.

In which dishes this Curry Powder is used ?

This curry powder used in Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean and also in some Chinese & Japanese dishes.
Curry powder is used to flavor soups and stews, and is great for adding a kick to all kinds of sauces and marinades, as well as meatloaf and burgers, and chicken, tuna, pasta and potato salads.

Origin: 
"Curry powder" as we know it was a British invention, not an Indian one, intended to capture the flavor of Indian cooking without the painstaking effort of custom-blending, roasting and grinding spices for every dish prepared. And even more strangely, most curry powder doesn't even contain curry leaves! Curry became a great favorite in Britain at the end of the nineteenth century, and its popularity soon spread to southeast Asia with British empire.

Now Curry is a key element of South and Southeast Asian, Caribbean, Japanese, English and Australian cooking.

Recipe from this curry powder: Singapore Rice Noodles

Information Source: allrecipes.com

Recipe Source: food.com 

I send this recipe for Dipti's event. 

Garam Masala (Maharashtrian Kayastha Prabhu Style)

This garam masala recipe from 'Kayastha Prabhu' or CKP community. This CKP community is known as "non-veg lover' and 'real foodie' in Kokan region. This masala is specially used in non-vegetarian dishes. This masala gives authentic taste to your chicken curry, mutton curry, prawns curry, crab curry and egg curry. But this masala is used in some other vegetarian curry like lentil (masur), black peas (kale vatane), bengal gram (chane)  and yam (suran). 
I like this garam masala and I use this in my kokani non-veg dishes. Our neighbor Karnik aunty gave me this recipe.

हि पाककृती वाचा मराठीतून … इथे क्लिक करा.  


Ingrdients:

• Coriander seeds - 250 gm
• Sichuan pepper (Tirfal)- 50 g
• Poppy seeds (Khaskhas)- 50 g
• Caraway seeds (shaha jeere) - 10 g
• Mace (Javitri)- 10 g
• Cobra’s saffron (nagkesar)- 10 g
• Fennel seeds (Badishep) - 50 g
• Clove - 10 g
• Cinnamon - 10 g
• Black peppercorns - 10 g
• Star anise (badian/badyan)- 10 g
• Nutmeg - 1 piece
• Black cardamom (masala velachi) - 10 g

Method:

• Dry roast all ingredients one by one on low flame individually continue to roast till a nice aroma is given out. Do not burn anything, all masala will ruined. 
• Cool and grind together all spices to a powder. 
• Cool and store in airtight container. 

Suggestion:
This garam masala is a quite strong , use carefully.
If you feel that the this masala is strong and spicy, add 250 gm more coriander seeds in this recipe.

Goda Masala (Special Maharastrian mix spices powder)

Goda masala is used in Maharashtrian cuisine. It is the base of most Maharashtrian vegetarian dishes, guaranteed to make an ordinary curry interesting. I used in many dishes which are posted in my blog.




हि पाककृती वाचा मराठीतून ……इथे क्लिक करा.  

Ingredients:

• Coriander seeds (sp. used Induri dhane)- 500 gm
• Dry coconut, grated- 1 halve (approx 1 cup)
• Cumin seeds (jeere)- 100 gm
• Caraway seeds (shaha jeere)- 25 gm
• Cloves (lavanga)- 5 gm
• Cinnamon (dalchini) – 5 gm
• Bay leaves (tamal patr)- 10 gm
• Black cardamom (masala velachi)- 5 gm (optional)
• Stone flower (dagad phool)- 10 gm
• Cobra’s saffron (nagkesar)- 5 gm (optional)
• Sesame seeds (til)- 100 gm
• Asafetida (hing) powder- 25 gm
• Oil (sp. used ground nut oil)- as required, for frying 

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, sprinkle or spray the oil in a pan. Roast all ingredients one by one on low flame individually continue to roast till a nice aroma is given out. Do not burn anything, all masala will ruined. 
• Dry roast only sesame seeds and dry coconut. Crush with mortar and pestle.  
• Do not fry hing powder. Spread on hot fried spices. 
• Cool and grind together all spices to a powder. 
• Grind separately coconut and sesame seeds into dry powder. Then mix in the masala powder.
• Cool and store in airtight containers in fridge. 

Kokani Style Mix Spices Powder /Kokani Mix Masala (Our Homemade Masala)

Kokani Mix Masala is multipurpose spice blend. It is a blend of Indian spices commonly used in both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian recipes!
This is a very flavorful masala, the aroma is just too overwhelming.
This is the same masala powder recipe I have mentioned in my many previous posts....

If you have this masala powder in stock you can whip up some veg or non-veg curries quickly. You only need to add this masala powder and you don’t need to add any other masala powders. I never use store bought masala in any of my dishes. But sometimes I use “Goda Masala” in some veg dishes and “Garam masala” in non-veg dishes with this masala powder for special taste.

We make a big batch of this masala powder and if you store it well in air tight containers, it will last for full year without any problems. This masala is mostly made in summer. I always have enough stock of this with me and I get my share of this masala powder from my mother in law. Since she makes large quantities, she gives the cleaned and roasted spices to a mill to have it powdered. You can make this in small quantities and powder it in your mixer grinder at home. So here is how we make the masala powder at home.....

Our origin place is in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra. Our masala is very similar to Malwani masala.
Every village has different recipe of masala. Even every family has their own version of masala.
So here is our family's secrete recipe. ;) This makes approx. 8 kg of the Masala Powder. if you want to make it in small quantity, I gave smallest quantity of this masala in the end of this post.

Ingredients:

• Dry Sankeshwari Chili- 2 kg 
• Dry Bedagi chili- 1 kg 
• Dry Ghantoor (Moka/ Ghati/Pandi) chili- 2 kg 
• Coriander seeds- ¼ kg 
• Fennel seeds- ½ kg 
• Whole dry Turmeric root (Halkund)- ¼ kg 
• Mace (Javitri)- 200 gm 
• Poppy seeds (Khaskhas)- 200 gm 
• Cinnamon sticks- 200 gm 
• Star anise- 200 gm 
• Cobra saffron/ Cassia buds (Nagkeshar)- 200 gm 
• Mustard seeds- 200 gm 
• Black pepper corns- 150 gm 
• Cloves- 120 gm 
• Cumin seeds- 100 gm 
• Caraway seeds (Shahi jeera)- 100 gm 
• Bay leaf (Tej patta)- 50 gm 
• Asafetida (Hing) cube– 50 gm 
• Stone flower- 50 gm 
• Sichuan pepper (Tirfal)- 50 gm 
• Black cardamoms (Badi elayachi)- 200 gm 
• Green cardamoms (Hari elayachi)- 10 gm 
• Groundnut oil- very little... as required for roasting

Method:
Sun-dry all spices including chilies for 3 to 5 days.
Discard the steams of chilies. Clean all spices by straining, picking etc. Discard impurities and unwanted things if any.
Break the turmeric root and asafetida.
Heat little oil in a pan and roast every ingredient on low flame individually continue to roast till a nice aroma is given out.
We use big earthen wok (Khapar) for roasting. We roast on chulha. This is backyard activity. (Otherwise you cant bare spices's sharp aroma. Because our quantity is huge.) Special ladies do this task of masala making.

Cool and grind to a powder. Cool and store in airtight containers at dry and dark place.
Keep a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the stored masala's container for long time fresh.

I gave here smallest quantity of this masala (approx. 800 gm) for your convenience. You may make this masala in 3-5 batches in your mixer-grinder. Rest of recipe as same above. 

• Dry Sankeshwari Chili- 200 gm 
• Dry Bedagi chili- 100 gm 
• Dry Ghantoor (Moka/ Ghati/Pandi) chili- 200 gm 
• Coriander seeds- 25 gm 
• Fennel seeds- 50 gm 
• Whole dry Turmeric root (Halkund)- 25 gm 
• Mace (Javitri)- 20 gm 
• Poppy seeds (Khaskhas)- 20 gm 
• Cinnamon sticks- 20 gm 
• Star anise- 20 gm 
• Cobra saffron/ Cassia buds (Nagkeshar)- 20 gm 
• Mustard seeds- 20 gm 
• Black pepper corns- 15 gm 
• Cloves- 12 gm 
• Cumin seeds- 10 gm 
• Caraway seeds (Shahi jeera)- 10 gm 
• Bay leaf (Tej patta)- 5 gm 
• Asafetida (Hing) – 5 gm 
• Stone flower- 5 gm 
• Sichuan pepper (Tirfal)- 5 gm 
• Black cardamoms (Badi elayachi)- 20 gm 
• Green cardamoms (Hari elayachi)- 1 gm or 2 pieces

Tip:

You want to make masala and you are living in Mumbai. Then I have one suggestion for you. 

You will get all spices ingredients at Khamakar lane (Ganesh galli), Lalbag. There are many shops selling spices. There are also masala mills. They do all things like picking, roasting and grinding. We will get readymade masala in our hands within 2-3 hours. But in season period, there is crowded. 

साहित्य:

• संकेश्वरी मिरची- २ किलो
• घंटूर/ घाटी/मोका/ पाण्डी मिरची- २ किलो
• बेडगी/ब्याडगी मिरची- १ किलो 
• धणे- २५० ग्रॅम
• बडीशेप- ५०० ग्रॅम
• हळकुंड - २५० ग्रॅम
• जायपत्री - २०० ग्रॅम 
• खसखस - २०० ग्रॅम
• दालचिनी- २०० ग्रॅम
• चक्री फुल / बाद्यान -  २०० ग्रॅम
• नागकेशर-  २०० ग्रॅम
• मोहरी/ राई-  २०० ग्रॅम
• काळे मिरे- १५० ग्रॅम
• लवंग- १२० ग्रॅम
• जिरे- १०० ग्रॅम
• शहा जिरे - १०० ग्रॅम
• तमाल पत्र- ५० ग्रॅम
• हिंग खडे - ५० ग्रॅम
• दगड फुल- ५० ग्रॅम
• तिरफळ / त्रिफळ- ५० ग्रॅम
• मसाला वेलची- २०० ग्रॅम
• हिरवी वेलची- १० ग्रॅम
• शेंगदाणा तेल- थोडस जरुरीप्रमाणे (भाजताना कढईला मसाले चिकटू नये व मसाल्याचा रंग आणि वास खुलून यावा म्हणून जरासे तेल वापरायचे. मसाले तेलात तळायचे नाही आहेत.)    

कृती: 

• कडक उन्हामध्ये मिरच्या ३-४ दिवस वाळवाव्यात. इतर सर्व मसाल्याचे पदार्थ सुद्धा १-२ दिवस उन्हात सुकवावे. (मिरच्या चांगल्या सुकुन कडक व्हायला पाहिजेत. मिरची हाताने तोडल्यास कटकन तुटली पाहिजे. मिरच्या कडकडीत सुकल्या असल्या की मसाला चांगला बारीक कुटला जातो आणि चाळल्यानंतर मागे उरणारा भुसा खुपच कमी निघतो.) 
• मिरच्यांची देठ खुडा. मिरच्या व सर्व मसाले पाखडून, चाळून, निवडून स्वच्छ करा. काही घाण किंव्हा उपयोगी नसलेल्या गोष्टी काढून टाका. 
• हळदकुंड, हिंग खडे वेगवेगळे कुटून त्यांचे बारीक तुकडे करुन वेगवेगळे ठेवा.
• एका कढईत थोड थोड तेल घेऊन त्यात मसाल्याचे पदार्थ वेगवेगळे मंद आचेवर भाजून घ्या. करपू नका. (मसाल्याचे पदार्थ एकत्र करून भाजायचे नाहीत. प्रत्येक पदार्थाचा भाजण्यासाठी लागणारा वेळ वेगवेगळा असतो.)  
• एका मिरचीचे दोन ते तिन तुकडे करा. काळजीपूर्वक न करपवता मिरच्या भाजा. मिरच्या काळ्या झाल्या तर मसाला पण काळपट होईल. (मिरच्या भाजताना तेलाचा उपयोग करत नाहीत पण मिरच्या सगळ्यात शेवटी भाजतात तेंव्हा तेल चिकटलेले असतेच.  कढईला मिरच्या चीकटण्याची भीती वाटत असेल तर मिरच्या टाकण्यापूर्वी कढईत जरासं तेल शिंपडून घ्या.) 
• भाजलेले पदार्थ गार करण्यासाठी मोठ्या थाळ्यात किंव्हा पेपरवर पसरून ठेवा.   
• मिरच्या आणि इतर सर्व साहित्य एकत्र मिसळुन थंड झाल्यावर डंकन/गिरणी/ चक्की मध्ये कुटुन/दळून आणावे. थोड्या प्रमाणात असेल तर मिक्सरमध्ये पण दळता येतो. (डंकनवर कुटले की रंग कायम राहतो आणि जास्त चांगली चव येते. पण चाळून झाल्यावर भुसा जास्त निघतो. चक्कीवर दळले की रंग फिका पडतो.)
• मसाला कुटून/दळून आणल्यावर चाळा. (काही ठिकाणी गिरणीत चाळण्यासाठी बायका असतात. त्या मसाला चाळुन देतात.) चाळल्यावर मागे उरणारा भुसा/भरड माश्याचे कालवण करताना वाटणात वापरता येतो.     
• चाळलेला मसाला हवाबंद डब्यात किंवा प्लास्टिकच्या पिशवीत घालून घट्ट झाकणाच्या डब्यात किंवा काचेच्या बरणीत ठेवा. लागेल तसा थोडा थोडा वापरायला काढावा. किंव्हा आपला रोजच्या वापरातला मसाल्याचा डब्बा ज्या आकाराचा आहे त्या मापाचा मसाला छोट्या छोट्या प्लास्टिकच्या पिशवीत घालून पिशव्या सील कराव्यात. जरुरी प्रमाणे एक-एक पिशवी वापरायला काढावी. मसाला काढताना ओला हात किंव्हा ओला चमचा वापरू नये.  
• मसाल्याचा डबा नेहमी कोरड्या आणि अंधाऱ्या जागी ठेवावा. 
• मसाल्याचा वास आणि ताजेपणा टिकून राहण्यासाठी त्यात हिंगाचे खडे टाकून ठेवावेत. 

अधिक माहितीसाठी इथे क्लिक करा.