Masalas

[Suvir Saran]

Masalas (Spice Mixes)

Spice blends are used extensively in Indian cooking across the different regions. They are used to add a distinct flavor to a dish. They vary in their texture, complexity and their form. Some are prepared as powders, others are simply a mélange of whole spices and yet others are pastes based on fresh ingredients such as chiles and herbs.

India, Indonesia and Thailand have many different recipes for such blends, pastes and mixes. In India the blending of spices is the essence of its cookery; to become a good Indian cook you must first become a maslachi(a spice blender). The word masala means a mixture of spices but also refers to the aromatic composition of a dish, or simply a gravy. At times Masal also refers to gossip. The western concept of having a single masala or curry powder gives little if any insight into Indian cooking since there are hundreds of masalas - from different regions, for different recipes, and prepared to the taste of different chefs and homes - imparting a distinctive flavor to each dish.

The most common ground blends are the garam masalas, used in northern Indian cooking, and hotter masalas or curry powders from the south. They are usually made up as required and will keep for 3-4 months in an airtight jar. These masalas change in flavor as one travels from one region of India to another.

* Curry Powder (South India, all over the different states of the south)

* Bottle Masala ( Maharashtra)

* Sambhaar Powder (South India, used in Southern Indian cooking extensively)

* Panch Phoron (From Bengal, used in lentils and vegetables)

* Garam Masala (Most important spice blend of North Indian cookery)

* Chaat masala (North India, used with fruit and vegetable salads, raitas and garnishes)

* Green Masala (All over India, used in fish and chicken dishes for marinade)

* Rassam Powder (South India, used in light very spicy soup like preparations)

Basic Garam Masala

Garam Masala This is a version of the most common type of garam masala used throughout northern India.

* 2 cinnamon sticks

* 4 bay leaves

* 1 1/2 oz cumin seeds

* 1 1/2 oz coriander seeds

* 3/4 oz green or black cardamom seeds

* 3/4 oz black peppercorns

* 1/2 oz cloves

* 1/2 oz mace

Break the cinnamon sticks into pieces. Add the bay leaves.

Heat a heavy frying pan and after 2 minutes put in the whole spices.

Dry roast over a medium flame till color darkens, stirring or shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning.

Place the contents on a cold platter to cool, then grind and blend with mace powder.

Store in an airtight container.

[Sandra Levine]

Suvir, you mention both garam masala and chaat masala. Is there a different kind of mixture for chaat? Or, does the name refer to a chaat that is itself a mix of various ingredients?

[Suvir Saran]

Sandra,

Chaat Masala is a spice powder just made for Chaat dishes. The spices that are blended for it are different.

Ahmeds Chaat Masala is a great packaged Chaat Masala you can find in Indian grocery stores. For that matter even Chunky Chaat Masala is very good.

This mix is used in the dishes and also sprinkled as one garnishes such foods.

[oliva]

There are two other masalahs I think may be worth mentioning. Overall, I am a bit of a purist and do not like flavouring my food excessively with masalahs. I do like sprinkling a little bit on my vegetarian dishes right before serving, especially chat masalah.

There are two masalahs I like to use sometimes, the first one is a 'nihari' mix. I use this not for making nihari (a slow cooked Pakistani meat stew), but for making a quail dish. I saute the quail in lots of butter, onions and lots of lime juice and then add the nihari mix. It tastes lovely. The other masalah mix I use is the one for 'bhel puri'. It is supposed to be used for vegetables but I have used it in a simple chicken curry. My friends who love curries laced with masalahs liked the addition of this particular masalah a lot.

[Suvir Saran]

What is the Bhel Puri Masala?

Would you care to tell us more? I have never seen it... I am sure I missed it... what are the ingredients in it?

Is it a new masala mix?

Nihari masala and it's use with quail sounds fascinating. I never use a masala for Nihari just as I make my own Sambhaar Powder. But it is great to know of a use for these masalas for things other than what one would think of....

[anil]

Oliva: What is bhel puri masala ? I spent a lot of time in my youth in Bombay, now known as Mumbai; home of bhel-puri, I do not recall seeing any bhel-puri masala. Maybe I wasn't too observant.

Sandra: The essential difference in Chaat masala, is addition of Amchur (powder of dried unripened mangoes) and kala namak (black rock salt) to the usual suspects

[oliva]

The 'bhel puri' masalah is made by National. I bought it at a Burmese specialty food store. The ingredients, apparently, are the same as what you find in a 'pav bhaji' masalah mix. Namely, cloves, black salt, dry mango, chilli, coriander, taj, salt, black cardamom, fennel seeds, cumin and curry leaves.

Suvir we would love to have your homemade masalah mix ingredients for Nihari.

[Toby]

Yes, Suvir, please. I just bought some quail in Chinatown today. What would go into the nihari masala?

[Suvir Saran]

Oliva and Toby, get ready for the cook book. You can find the masala ingredients in it.

Some secrets have to remain till it is in print.

I am accused of being far too generous. Often to my own detriment. Am learning slowly to be not as easy with sharing and giving.

As for the Bhel Puri mix, it is very different from anything I would have ever expected in a Bhel Mix. I make Bhel Puri and very often. I grew up in a home where gunny sacks of the dry stuff would be used at any given Birthday bash. My mother would personally prepare Bhel for over 50 young and hungry children and then their parents and other guests. We would consume more Bhel Mix than perhaps Dimple Chaat House uses in a week.

Bhel is very simple and very easy to make. And as far as I know... requires no mix. Maybe that is why the bhel Mix works well for other dishes as well. Since its ingredient list is not what one would expect or want in the Bhel Puri dish I remember from the streets of Bombay or even made by my Mom.

I also remember recently that a friend from India got Bhel Mix from India. And she also brought with her sachets that had the dry stuff that makes one simple quick chutney. You add the ingredients of the sachet into water in a bowl and within seconds you have Tamarind Chutney ready. You then make your own mint or cilantro chutney and add these two chutnies to the Bhel Mix along with chopped cilantro, onions, potatoes, chopped green mango and some green chile and toss and serve. That is how simple Bhel Puri normally is.

[Suvir Saran]

Oliva and Toby,

I have started a Nihari/Nehari thread. You will also find their the spice mix I use. I gave in just as I would have thought myself as doing....

Nehari/Nehari Thread

[spicegirl]

Suvir,

Are you saying you make Neehari Masala yourself? Do you sell it somewhere? Or do you mean you use spices at home and just make the recipe as one would have seen them made in homes?

Do you find Neehari in the menus in New York?

[oliva]

Spicegirl, the best nihari that I have had in NY is at this Pakistani dive on Lexington Avenue. It is called Chatkhara. It is available on the weekends. It is really excellent.

[Hasmi]

Survir,

I have always wanted to know exactly what was in Garam masala.

Now I know

Cheers

Hasmi

[Suvir Saran]

Achaari Masala

1 tablespoon coriander seed

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon nigella seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all spices together. Place in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Grind into a fine powder and store in an airtight container.

[CathyL]

At the farmers' market this morning, a young man was offering tastes of four beautiful vegetable dishes: cauliflower, kidney beans, okra and chickpeas, each seasoned with a different spice blend. He sells the spices pre-packaged, each package enough for four servings, with a recipe included on the label.

I bought a package of the cauliflower blend - whole cumin, turmeric, red pepper, salt, and (I think) cracked coriander and a little fenugreek. The recipe calls for canola oil, fresh ginger, green chilis, plum tomato and fresh cilantro in addition to the spices.

The blends are rather pricey - $3 for one, $10 for all four - but the packaging is attractive, the spices are high quality, and I admire this young entrepreneur's mission "to make Indian culture a little easier to experience" as he says on the label. After all, not everyone is lucky enough to have Suvir as a coach. The Brooklyn-based company's website is Arora Creations.

[Suvir Saran]

Michel Nischan on Chaat Masala and Curry

[Anna N]

Suvir: I am anxious to make your Basic Garam Masala but the "2 cinnamon sticks" threw me. I can buy cinnamon sticks ranging from 3 to 6 inches in length - (I suspect they are really cassia but the only thing I can find around here). So, when you say 2 sticks can you approximate the length? I would imagine there would be a big difference in the final product if I put in 2-6 inch sticks and you meant 2 inch sticks! Many thanks for all your helpfulness and kindness on this board - I love your posts.

[Suvir Saran]

Suvir:  I am anxious to make your Basic Garam Masala but the "2 cinnamon sticks" threw me.  I can buy cinnamon sticks ranging from 3 to 6 inches in length - (I suspect they are really cassia but the only thing I can find around here).  So, when you say 2 sticks can you approximate the length?  I would imagine there would be a big difference in the final product if I put in 2-6 inch sticks and you meant 2 inch sticks!  Many thanks for all your helpfulness and kindness on this board - I love your posts.

Two 2 1/2 inch sticks should be plenty.

Sorry about that.

[Anna N]

Thank you, Suvir. I am off to try to try to replicate your garam masala.

[Suvir Saran]

Thank you, Suvir.  I am off to try to try to replicate your garam masala.

Let us know how it comes out.

[Roger McShane]

Hi Suvir

I constantly survey your threads looking for little gems and pearls that are dropped here. The masala discussion has been most interesting and I will add some comments concerning the proportions of spice that I like to use at a later time.

However, the sentence that fascinated me was your throw-away line about the honorific of 'maslachi' or spice blender. Is this the equivalent in coffee-speak of being a barrista? Are there different levels? Is this an India-wide term or specific to particular regions? How does one become a maslachi? Is it peer recognition?

Hope you can enlighten us.

[Anna N]

Let us know how it comes out.

Suvir - I wish I knew how to use the quote feature that includes name and date! But here goes on my report.

First, put an indulgent smile on your face as you read and understand that I am a newbie both to any serious cooking and certainly to Indian dishes! My husband henceforth known as The Dane, hates Indian food. Not that he's ever tasted any! What he considers Indian food is the awful "curries" served up by his mother in the 50s and 60s - basically stews into which she threw commercial curry powder. My Dad did the same so I know exactly what he is talking about - gluppy, spicy, awful coloured messes that had no taste other than stale curry powder. Consequently, the mere mention of Indian food and/or Indian restaurants meets with an immediate NO.

But The Dane can be nudged a little and that's what I am trying my best to do.

So, it seemed that your Tandoori Game Hens were a good start.

I had glanced through the recipe and determined that I had most of the ingredients on hand except "Garam Masala". However, I was very low on cumin seeds. Early in the morning I made a trip to the store to purchase these and thus began a saga that lasted most of the day.

I have only a postal scale (metric at that) to weigh ingredients and as I began to convert quantities from ounces to grams and to pour seeds and such into tiny paper cups to measure, I realized that this was an awful lot of garam masala to make so I halfed the quantities - this only made it that much more difficult to weigh accurately - I have never ever seen my tiny kitchen in such a mess Peppercorns jumped about, cumin seeds dropped randomly here and there and cinnamon flew about as I broke it up.

Then, of course, the spices needed to be dry-fried and again I think as many landed on the floor as in the pan! But I persevered wishing that you or someone who knew about dry-roasting were on hand to tell me when they were done.

On to grinding them - no big deal here but there seemed to be some pieces that did not get well ground so I sifted the end result not only to remove the unground bits but also to make sure the mace was well incorporated.

Now I had the one missing ingredient - the garam masala - so I began to assemble the ingredients for the marinade - since there are just two of us, I once again cut the recipe in half and used only one game hen and half the marinade. Further, I now read the recipe very carefully and almost fell over when I realized that the hours of work involved in preparing the garam and all I needed was "half a pinch"! I laughed so hard at myself I almost cried.

Cutting the recipe in half posed its own problem that an experienced cook would have foreseen - the blender does not like such small quantities! It balked at pureeing them. In fact, the ginger barely got scraped by the blades.

But onwards and upwards. I put the bird (a very, very scrawny specimen that seemed to shrink by a half once it had defrosted) into a plastic bag and bunged it in the fridge while I tackled a kitchen that now looked like a disaster zone.

An hour before dinner I pulled it out of the fridge and turned my oven on. This may sound a bit odd - turning the oven on an hour before I intend to use it - but I am at least experienced with this damned oven. Sure enough, it refused to heat past 325F! With a little help from The Dane and some tweaking of the dial, we eventually persuaded both elements to come on at the same time and an hour later it had reached close to 450F.

I put the bird in the oven and crossed my fingers.

Well, it turned out WONDERFUL. After the first taste The Dane

(He who hates Indian food) was making suggestions about what else could be cooked this way.

So, many THANKS for the recipe and the help - What do I do with a huge jar of Garam Masala? Hope you are still smiling at my antics.

[Suvir Saran]

Let us know how it comes out.

Suvir - I wish I knew how to use the quote feature that includes name and date! But here goes on my report.

First, put an indulgent smile on your face as you read and understand that I am a newbie both to any serious cooking and certainly to Indian dishes! My husband henceforth known as The Dane, hates Indian food. Not that he's ever tasted any! What he considers Indian food is the awful "curries" served up by his mother in the 50s and 60s - basically stews into which she threw commercial curry powder. My Dad did the same so I know exactly what he is talking about - gluppy, spicy, awful coloured messes that had no taste other than stale curry powder. Consequently, the mere mention of Indian food and/or Indian restaurants meets with an immediate NO.

But The Dane can be nudged a little and that's what I am trying my best to do.

So, it seemed that your Tandoori Game Hens were a good start.

I had glanced through the recipe and determined that I had most of the ingredients on hand except "Garam Masala". However, I was very low on cumin seeds. Early in the morning I made a trip to the store to purchase these and thus began a saga that lasted most of the day.

I have only a postal scale (metric at that) to weigh ingredients and as I began to convert quantities from ounces to grams and to pour seeds and such into tiny paper cups to measure, I realized that this was an awful lot of garam masala to make so I halfed the quantities - this only made it that much more difficult to weigh accurately - I have never ever seen my tiny kitchen in such a mess Peppercorns jumped about, cumin seeds dropped randomly here and there and cinnamon flew about as I broke it up.

Then, of course, the spices needed to be dry-fried and again I think as many landed on the floor as in the pan! But I persevered wishing that you or someone who knew about dry-roasting were on hand to tell me when they were done.

On to grinding them - no big deal here but there seemed to be some pieces that did not get well ground so I sifted the end result not only to remove the unground bits but also to make sure the mace was well incorporated.

Now I had the one missing ingredient - the garam masala - so I began to assemble the ingredients for the marinade - since there are just two of us, I once again cut the recipe in half and used only one game hen and half the marinade. Further, I now read the recipe very carefully and almost fell over when I realized that the hours of work involved in preparing the garam and all I needed was "half a pinch"! I laughed so hard at myself I almost cried.

Cutting the recipe in half posed its own problem that an experienced cook would have foreseen - the blender does not like such small quantities! It balked at pureeing them. In fact, the ginger barely got scraped by the blades.

But onwards and upwards. I put the bird (a very, very scrawny specimen that seemed to shrink by a half once it had defrosted) into a plastic bag and bunged it in the fridge while I tackled a kitchen that now looked like a disaster zone.

An hour before dinner I pulled it out of the fridge and turned my oven on. This may sound a bit odd - turning the oven on an hour before I intend to use it - but I am at least experienced with this damned oven. Sure enough, it refused to heat past 325F! With a little help from The Dane and some tweaking of the dial, we eventually persuaded both elements to come on at the same time and an hour later it had reached close to 450F.

I put the bird in the oven and crossed my fingers.

Well, it turned out WONDERFUL. After the first taste The Dane

(He who hates Indian food) was making suggestions about what else could be cooked this way.

So, many THANKS for the recipe and the help - What do I do with a huge jar of Garam Masala? Hope you are still smiling at my antics.

You can grill many meats using that marinade.

And if you want, I am happy sending you a few recipes through PM.

Email me, and tell me what you would like to cook. And I can send some recipes accordingly.

Your experience, written by you, was certainly entertaining. I am sorry it was so hard. I should have told you to simply buy a small jar from an Indian grocer. But I am sure you have learned quite a lot from that garam masala making itself.

Dry roasting is complete when the spices are toasted without them becoming black. Also when they are toasted, many of the spices will start spluttering around. You remove them from the fire and into a cold bowl. Cool and then blend into a powder.

I am glad your husband enjoyed the Cornish game hens. It is actually a great recipe to have as a first introduction to Indian cooking. It's delicate spicing and familiar presentation make it not all that difficult to embrace. You were very smart to begin with this recipe.

Be in touch..and let me know if you need any particular recipes. I will be more than happy to oblige. Congratulations on having made your first garam masala. Seal the container tightly, it should easily keep for several months.

[Anna N]

Your experience, written by you, was certainly entertaining. I am sorry it was so hard. I should have told you to simply buy a small jar from an Indian grocer. But I am sure you have learned quite a lot from that garam masala making itself.

I hope you don't thing for one minute that I was complaining! Finding an Indian Grocer would have taken days never mind hours. I love the smell of the spices and I felt like a chemist weighing and measuring and mixing - it was a lovely experience.

I am sorry but I do not know how to use PMs or even what they are.

I am now attempting your "Butter Chicken" though I do not really know how it should taste. I will not feed it to The Dane as I won't risk overkill but I was anxious to try it. I redeemed myself somewhat on the messy side and managed to keep everything under control - well ALMOST - while pushing some tomato paste out of a can (nothing to do with your recipe!) I managed to drive the open end of the can into the tip of my thumb and spent some time removing the evidence and putting on six bandaids and the finger of a rubber glove so I could keep on working. Perhaps I should find another interest that is less detrimental to my health.

I know if I am to persuade The Dane to try any kind of Indian curry, it must not look at all like the disgusting stews of both our childhoods. He is not at the best of times a "stew" person though I love them. By stew I mean anything where the meat and vegetables are cooked together.

Next time I make Danish Frikadeller (meatballs) I will try to post a recipe for you so that this is more of a two-way street. I don't have a recipe as I wing it - perhaps though, being a vegetarian - it would not suit you. I'll have to try to come up with something else Danish that does not involve meat.

Thanks again for your interest and your concern. I will let you know how I find the Butter Chicken - The Dane is away until after lunch so I can indulge without imposing it on him.

[Suvir Saran]

Hi Suvir

I constantly survey your threads looking for little gems and pearls that are dropped here. The masala discussion has been most interesting and I will add some comments concerning the proportions of spice that I like to use at a later time.

However, the sentence that fascinated me was your throw-away line about the honorific of 'maslachi' or spice blender. Is this the equivalent in coffee-speak of being a barrista? Are there different levels? Is this an India-wide term or specific to particular regions?  How does one become a maslachi? Is it peer recognition?

Hope you can enlighten us.

Roger,

I know maharaj's/pandits/thakur/misrani (all are honorifics for a homes chef) were more common in days of the past. There are still many homes where you can find a cook of that stature. But they are now far lower in number.

My cooking follows in the tradition of my families cook, Panditji. Born a Brahman, his family has worked for hours for generations. He came to my grandmothers home as a kid. And by working as a sous chef alongside his elders, he was trained in the art of Indian cooking.

There have been cooks that were hired in my parents home, they were interviewed by my parents, and if they seemed promising, they would be interviewed by Panditji. The first thing he trained them at was how to choose spices at a grocery store. How to look for them, which ones to buy whole, which ones to buy powdered, which ones to powder at home and which ones to avoid. They would then be trained about the history, lore, and medicinal uses of spices. This would educate the cook to understand why certain spices are added to a recipe, and why certain others are added in small portions as ingredients that balance another without giving leaving much of a flavor into a dish.

Once they had learned enough about spices (masalas), they graduated to the next stage, this was the stage where Panditji would measure out certain spices and teach them on how to roast these spices to bring out their essential flavors and then how to cool them and grind them into powders. In doing so, they would be taught the art of balancing spices and understanding how spices react to heat. This was also a way of showing them how to understand the many subtle ways in which spices can alter flavors. This was a critical step in understanding Indian cooking. As they learned the art of roasting spices, they were also taught how each spice reacts differently to heat. And so there is a sequence that needs to be followed when roasting a melange of spices.

Once they had learned the art of measuring and roasting spices, they were taught the art of grinding spices. Some spices were ground finely, others to a coarse texture that could range from medium to chunky coarseness. This taught the apprentice the use of spices as more than just a flavor additive. Certain spices are used as thickening agents, some to give texture and some to give flavor without being noticed.

An apprentice had to do this under Panditjis tutelage for a very long time. Years. And most often, they would tire away and ask my parents to give them another responsibility. The couple that lasted, have learned the wisdom behind masalas. And hopefully can now cook as Panditji does, with great respect for a tradition, but also a keen understanding of what to do depending on the mood, season, ingredients and occasion.

I hope this gives you some insight into what a masalchi does. If you have any particular question that I may not have touched, please ask..and I shall do my best to share with you whatever I know.