Kolhapur is a region in Maharashtra known for its fiery hot food. I still remember the first time I went to Kolhapur and tried the Kolhapuri chicken. While the rest of my family was complaining about how spicy it was, dripping in sweat and gulping glasses of water, I on the other hand was enjoying the spice. I love spicy food and I was in food heaven! Cooking Indian food is like making music. It is an orchestra of spices which when mixed in a different ratio make something uniquely delicious. Here is my version of the garam masala from this region of Maharashtra. You can use this to make Misal, Usal or Kolhapuri Chicken or Mutton.
What you will need:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Bay Leaves | 2 |
| Black Cardamom | 1 gram |
| Black Cumin/Shahi Jeera | 4 grams |
| Black Pepper | 6 grams |
| Cinnamon | 2 grams |
| Cloves | 1 gram |
| Coconut Powder | 75 grams |
| Corriander Seeds | 12 grams |
| Cumin | 8 grams |
| Dagad Phool | 4 grams |
| Green Cardamom | 1 gram |
| Kashmiri Red Chili Powder | 4 tablespoons |
| Mace | 1 gram |
| Nutmeg | 2 grams |
| Poppy Seeds | 15 grams |
| Spicy Red Chili Powder | 2 tablespoons |
| Star Anise | 1 gram |
| Turmeric | 1 tablespoon |
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: Makes around 250 grams of masala
How to make it:
- Dry roast the whole spices.
Dry Masala - Let the spices cools down. Make a fine powder.
- Dry roast the coconut powder until it turns golden brown. Turn the flame off.
- Add the kashmiri chili powder, spicy red chili powder and turmeric to the coconut. Mix well.
- Add the ground spice powder to the coconut mix.
- Mix everything well. Let the mixture cool.
- Place the masala in an air tight container. Use as needed to make chicken or mutton curry, usal or misal.
- You can use this masala for up to 3 months.