True! you can buy all the masalas and powders for your curries, gravies and other preparations over the counter i.e. 'READYMADE'.
Have you ever tried making your masalas all by yourself? Just give it a try and you will definitely feel the remarkable difference in taste and flavour.
.....................And to your surprise it's not that difficult/tiring/time consuming or clumsy as you thought it to be.
So here is the list of your 12 magical masalas...
Have you ever tried making your masalas all by yourself? Just give it a try and you will definitely feel the remarkable difference in taste and flavour.
.....................And to your surprise it's not that difficult/tiring/time consuming or clumsy as you thought it to be.
So here is the list of your 12 magical masalas...
- Garam Masala powder:
Garam masala is a mixture of spices and herbs. It is used as seasoning in almost all the Indian dishes. The composition of garam masala differs region to region across India, the most common recipe includes -
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 cup
- Black Cardamoms (badi ilaichi) - 1 cup
- Peppercorns (kalimirch) - 1/2 cup *you can reduce the quantity as per taste
- Coriander (dhania) seeds - 1/2 cup
- Fennel seeds (saunf) - 1/4 cup
- Cloves (laung) - 3 tbsp
- Cinnamon (dalchini) - 3 tbsp
- Mace (javitri) - 8 to 10 nos
- Caraway seeds (shahjeera) - 2 tbsp *optional
- Bayleaf (tejpatta) - 1/4 cup
- Nutmeg (jaiphal) powder - 1 and half tbsp *optional Dry roast all the ingredients in a heavy bottom pen/kadahi till you get the aroma of the spices.
Let it cool down to room temperature then grind in a grinder to a smooth powder.
Sieve and store in an air-tight container. - Chole / Chana Masala powder:
Homemade chole/chana masala powder makes the recipe more tasty and gives it a restaurent like color and aroma. Ingredients are as follows -
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tbsp
- Dry Pomegranate Seeds (Anardana) - 1 tbsp
- Coriander (dhania) seeds - 1 and half tbsp
- Peppercorns (kalimirch) - 1/2 tbsp *you can reduce the quantity as per taste
- Cloves (laung) - 1/2 tbsp or few
- Cinnamon (dalchini) - 2-3 sticks
- Bayleaf (tejpatta) - 2-3 leaves
- Black Cardamoms (badi ilaichi) - 4-5
- Dry red chillies - 2-3 Dry roast all the spices on low flame until fragrant, let it cool down for a while then grind in a grinder.
- Rajma Masala powder:
Rajma Masala powder is not a very popular curry powder.
Normally Rajma is cooked in a simple ginger-garlic, onion-tomato paste based curry with regular masalas (i.e. coriender powder, chilly powder, salt, amchoor powder and garam masala) added to it.
This powder if added to the prepration gives the recipe a distinct aroma & flavor.
So here is the ingredients -
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tbsp
- Bayleaf (tejpatta) - 2-3 leaves
- Cloves (laung) - 1/4 tbsp or 4 to 5 pods
- Cinnamon (dalchini) - 1 to 2 sticks
- Green Cardamoms (choti ilaichi) deseeded - 2 to 3
- Dry red chillies - 2-3
- Asafoetida powder - 1 to 2 pinch Dry roast all the spices on low flame until fragrant, let it cool down for a while then grind in a grinder.
- Paav-Bhaji Masala powder:
This freshly made paav-bhaji masala will give your recipe an exceptionally good taste and flavor. Ingredients are as follows -
- Dry red chillies - 2-3
- Coriander (dhania) seeds - 2 tbsp
- Black cardamoms (badi ilaichi) - 3 to 4 nos
- Fennel seeds (sounf) - 1/2 tbsp
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tbsp
- Peppercorns (kalimirch) - 1/4 tbsp
- Cloves (laung) - 4 to 5 pods
- Cinnamon (dalchini) - 1 to 2 sticks
- Bayleaf (tejpatta) - 1 to 2 leaves
- Nutmeg (jaiphal) powder - 1/4 tbsp
- Mace (javitri) - 1/2 tbsp Dry roast all the spices on low flame until fragrant, let it cool down for a while then grind in a grinder.
- Chaat Masala:
Chaat Masala is mixture of few aromatic indian spices.
This powder is used as a garnish on salads, Chaats (like aloo chaat, bhelpuri, fruit chaat etc.) and Indian drinks (like lemonade).
It enhances the flavor of the food and aids in digestion.
Ingredients are as follows -
- Coriander (dhania) seeds - 1 cup
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 cup
- Dry red chillies - 8 to 10
- Peppercorns (kalimirch) - 1/2 tbsp
- Fennel seeds (sounf) - 2 tbsp
- Dry Pomegranate Seeds (Anardana) - 2 tbsp
- Garam Masala powder - 1 tbsp
- Dry Mango (amchoor) powder - 1/2 cup
- Black salt (kala namak) - 2 tbsp
- Dry ginger (sounth) powder - 1 tbsp
- Asafoetida (heeng) powder - 1/4 tbsp Roast coriender seeds in a heavy bottom pan/kadahi for a while. Add cumin seeds, red chillies, peppercorn and fennel seeds and keep on roasting on a low flame.
When you start feeling the aroma add pomegranate seeds and roast for another 1-2 minutes.
let it cool down then grind in a grinder.
Now add garam masala, dry mango powder, black salt, dry ginger power and asafoetida. Mix well.
Store in an air-tight container. Use as required. - Tea/Chai Masala:
Chai is a must have drink in almost all the Indian houses, and every Indian home has their own recipe of chai masala powder.
This home made masala powder is much more fragrant and strong than the store bought one.
You can use all or few of the ingredients as per your taste.
- A basic tea masala consist of Cinnamon, green cardamom and dry ginger powder.
If you don't like the dry ginger taste or elergic to ginger you can even skip this.
take 20 gms cinnamon, 50 gms whole green cardamom and 10 gms dry ginger or ginger powder (optional).
Grind together cinnamon and cardamom to get a fine powder, add ginger powder and gring for a while. Basic masala is ready. - Now to this basic powder you can add any, few or all of these spices to get your own version of tea masala.
Add
- 5 gms cloves
- 1 or 2 nutmag
- 20 gms dry basil (tulsi) leaves
- 1/4 tbsp black pepper (kalimirch)
- 1 tbsp fennel (saunf) seeds
- 10 gms dry crushed lemon grass
You can grind these ingredient/s together with the basic powder.
*For 2 cups of tea 1/4 tbsp powder is enough, though you can adjust the quantity as per your taste.
*You can store this powder in an air tight container for up to a month. after which it tends to loose its aroma and flavour.
- A basic tea masala consist of Cinnamon, green cardamom and dry ginger powder.
- Sambhar Masala Pawder:
Sambhar is one of the most popular South Indian dish and liked by almost everyone.
Every south Indian home has their own version of Sambhar masala Powder. Here is the most common of them all -
- Dry red chillies - 6-7
- coriander seeds (dhania) - 2 tbsp
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tbsp
- Fenugreek seeds (methidana) - 1 tbsp
- Black Mustard seeds (raai)- 2 tbsp
- White lentil (dhuli urad daal) - 1 tbsp
- Bengal gram split (chana daal) - 1 tbsp
- Dry coconut grated (kopra) - 2 tbsp Dry roast all the ingredients except dry coconut until fragrant. Add dry coconut and switch off the gas.
Let it cool down for a while then grind in a grinder.
Use the powder as required. Store remaining in an airtight container. This powder keeps well for a month. - Biryani Masala Powder:
'Biryani masala' is very similar to 'Garam masala'. This masala powder adds a special flavour and aroma which is required in a perfect biryani.
Ingredients are as follows -- Bayleaf (tejpatta) - 2 leaves
- Whole Black Cardamoms (badi ilaichi) - 8 nos
- Cinnamon (dalchini) - 2-3 sticks
- Fennel seeds (sounf) - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
- Peppercorns (kalimirch) - 6 to 8 nos
- Staranise (Chakri Phool) - 2 nos
- Caraway seeds (shahjeera) - 2 tbsp
- Mace (javitri) - 5 to 8 nos
- Nutmeg (jaiphal) - 1 no
- Cloves (laung) - 10 to 12 nos Dry roast all the ingredients except bayleaves on a moderately medium flame till the spice gives faint aroma.
Add bayleaves and roast for 1 more minute.
Cool and powder to a smooth finish. Store in an air tight container and use as required.
*This powder is used to flavour veg and non veg biryanis.
*Can be used as a marination for meats, cottage cheese etc to give them different flavour.
*You can also change the flavour of your other curries by replacing this powder with garam masala. - Tawa Masala Powder:
Tawa Masala also known as 'bharwa masala' powder is a powdered blend of few Indian spices and hurbs, which is mainly used to stuff vegetables such as brinjal, bottle guard (karela), lady's fingers etc.
This powder can also be used while making tawa recipes like paneer tawa masala, mashroom tawa masala, vegetable tawa masala and the like.
Ingredients are as follows -- Coriander (dhania) seeds - 4 tbsp
- Fennel seeds (sounf) - 2 tbsp
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tbsp
- Fenugreek seeds (methidana) - 1/2 tbsp
- Dry red chillies - 2-3
- Peppercorns (kalimirch) - 1/2 tbsp
- Cloves (laung) - 8-10 nos
- Cinnamon (dalchini) - 2-3 sticks
- Whole Black Cardamoms (badi ilaichi) - 6-8 nos
- Asafoetida(heeng)powder - 1 to 2 pinch
- Dry Mango (amchoor) powder - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
- Turmeric (haldi) powder - 1 tbsp *optional Dry roast all the ingredients except asafoetida, turmeric and mango powder on a medium flame.
Cool and powder to a smooth finish.
Add remaining powders and mix well.
Store in an air tight container and use as required.
**You only need to add salt while cooking when using this masala. - Next powder recipe tomorrow......keep visiting
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