goda masala recipe with step by step photos – goda masala is a special spice blend unique to maharashtrian cuisine. the spices used here are aromatic spices and these lend a subtle sweet aroma without hints of pungency & heat. so when you smell goda masala, you won’t sense the heat & pungency which is felt in other spice blends like garam masala and its variations. hence this masala gets translated in english to sweet masala. sweet not in taste but in aroma. “god or goda” (not pronounced as god the creator, but ‘go’ and ‘da’ as in ‘d’ of ‘dumb’) means sweet in marathi. the nature of this spice blend is also complex in terms of flavor and depth.
this aromatic spice blend is added to many maharashtrian dishes comprising of veggies, lentils and rice. a few recipes in which goda masala is always added are masale bhaat, tondli bhaat, vangi bhaat, matki usal, bharli bhendi, bharli vangi, katachi amti.
i usually make a small batch of about 100 grams and then add to my everyday cooking of lentils or veggies.
i also use garam masala. but then garam masala is added to the usual punjabi or north indian food i prepare. whereas goda masala is added to the maharashtrian recipes. garam masala may work as a substitute to goda masala. but better to avoid, unless you don’t have an option.
i prepare small batches of many dry masalas at home like sambar powder, bisi bele bath powder, pav bhaji masala, biryani masala, coriander powder etc. since i cook mostly punjabi, south indian, maharashtrian, goan & gujarati food at home. these small batches of homemade masalas are handy. i simply cannot do without these homemade masalas. the food which we have grown up having, always retain a deep impression on our psyche and no matter where we are, we always long back to go to our roots.
difference between kala masala and goda masala
there are two more masalas unique to maharashtrian food. one is kanda lahsun masala (onion garlic masala) and the other kala masala (black masala). kala masala and goda masala are terms used synonymously. but both are different.
i had asked my friend about the difference between kala masala and goda masala. she said that in kala masala she adds fried onions. the rest of the spices and ingredients are same. the onions are sliced and then sun dried. once they become crisp, she sautes them in oil till they turn golden. they become so crisp that if you break them, they get powdered.
due to addition of the fried onions, the kala masala gets a deeper dark brownish black color. hence the name ‘kala’ which means black in marathi. the blackish color is also obtained due to an extra roasting of the spices than what is done usually.
she also told me that she roasts the coconut an extra brown as well as all the spices to get this dark shade. this extra roasting also helps in giving a longer shelf life to the masala and gives a really good aroma, depth and flavor.
in the book “the essential marathi cookbook” by kaumudi marathé, its noted that “there is still some debate if goda and kala masala are the same. some say they are not while others say that only marathi brahmins traditionally used goda masala. however some still refer to goda masala as kala masala”.
however, i hold a different opinion and according to me both of them are different, especially after confirming it with my friend. as a ritual every year, my friend makes about 2.5 to 3 kg of both kala masala and maharashtrian garam masala during the summers. these masalas last for a year. the spices are roasted in oil and then given to a mill where they grind spices in bulk.
i have read that some don’t add coconut to goda masala as it reduces its shelf life. my friend says that the shelf life does not get reduced by adding coconut. since she makes in bulk she knows better than me, as i always make a small batch. according to her, if the coconut is roasted really well, then the goda masala or kala masala has a good shelf life. she keeps the masalas at room temperature and for a year they remain good.
each maharashtrian household has their own signature recipe for goda masala. the proportions of the spices vary from home to home. the proportions in my recipe work well and are tried and tested. even when i add just about 2 to 3 teaspoons of this goda masala in a rice dish or a legume/lentil dish, it really changes the flavor and taste like anything.
a few spices that lend an unmistakable stamp on goda masala –
- stone flower. also known as rock flower. in hindi these are called as kalpasi, patthar ke phool. in marathi known as dagad phool.
- cobra’s saffron also known as mesua ferrea, ceylon ironwood. nagkesar in hindi and nagkeshar in marathi. (both the spices are pictured above). nagkesar herb is also used in ayurvedic medicines
- apart from these two spices, the desiccated coconut & sesame seeds also impart a great deal of flavor.
there is one more ingredient which my friend had asked me to add. these are small black seeds known as niger seeds. they are also called as karale or khurasni in marathi and ramtil in hindi. a dry chutney is also made from these seeds. niger seeds and remaining ingredients in the below pic.
you may not get stone flower, cobra’s saffron and niger seeds easily. to get an authentic version, i would suggest not to skip stone flower or dagad phool. these lichens have an earthy woody fragrant which gives the goda masala its uniqueness. you can easily skip nagkeshar/cobra’s saffron and niger seeds.
i usually add desiccated coconut flakes to goda masala. my friend suggests that its best to use dried coconut shells. you grate the dried coconut and then roast these. this gives a more intense flavor than using desiccated coconut flakes.
i do get various brands of goda masala here. but after trying a couple of them, i thought its best to make this masala at home, even though its an extra effort. from then onwards i have been making goda masala at home with inputs from my friend. thanks to her, she has given me a lot of info on goda masala. i usually make a small batch which gives about 80 to 100 gms of masala.
this recipe yields about 250 gms of goda masala. depending on your usage the goda masala may get over in a month or last for about two months.
please note that each ingredient is roasted separately on a low flame. if you have the time than roast everything one by one. i roasted all the ingredients separately, except the fragrant spices. you will need to spare a good 1 hour to make this masala. so make sure you are done with all your cooking and the remaining household chores of the day.
goda masala
INGREDIENTS FOR goda masala
- 8 tablespoons coriander seeds (sabut dhania), 40 to 45 grams or about ¾ cup
- 6 tablespoons desiccated coconut, about 40 grams of desiccated coconut or ½ cup + 1 tablespoon
- 7 tablespoons sesame seeds (til), about 55 to 60 grams
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds (shahjeera)
- 3 tablespoons stone flower (pathar phool, dagad phool)
- ½ tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus), optional
- 4 to 5 dry red chilies, you can use byadagi or bedgi chilies or kashmiri red chilies
- 3 teaspoons niger seeds (ramtil, khurasni, karala)
- 1 teaspoon nag kesar (cobra's saffron)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (sabut kali mirch)
- 25 cloves (lavang) or about ¾ to 1 tablespoon
- 4 to 5 pieces of one inch cinnamon (dalchini)
- 4 black cardamoms (badi elachi), seeds removed and kept aside, husks discarded
- 5 to 6 green cardamoms (hari elachi, choti elachi)
- 7 to 8 small tej patta (tamal patra) or 4 to 5 medium tej patta
- 3 to 4 star anise (chakri phool)
- 1.5 teaspoons turmeric powder (haldi), optional
- ¼ teaspoon asafoedita (hing), optional
- 2 teaspoons oil
HOW TO MAKE goda masala
roasting ingredients to make goda masala
- heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
- add coriander seeds. stir often and roast them till they become fragrant and they change color. remove in a plate.
- then add cumin seeds. again stir and roast them till they are fragrant and they change color. remove in the same plate.
- next add caraway seeds and follow the same procedure.
- now add the niger seeds/karale. these are wonderfully fragrant. just roast them till they become fragrant.
- add sesame seeds. roast till they change color. keep on stirring so that there is uniform roasting. takes about 1.5 to 2 minutes on a low flame.
- once done, then like all the other roasted ingredients, remove and keep aside in the same plate.
- roast the desiccated coconut till they are golden. you will have to continuously stir to get a uniform golden color. to get darker color, you can roast a tad more than what i have done. remove in the same plate.
- if adding poppy seeds, add them now and roast till they are fragrant. remove aside.
- add the broken dry red chilies and roast till they have a smoky pungent fragrance. you can deseed the chilies if you prefer.
- add asafoetida and dry roast till they get fragrant. this takes a few seconds. remove.
- again heat 1 tsp oil in the same pan. now add all the aromatic spices - cinnamon, bay leaf, black pepper, star anise, cloves, black cardamom seeds, green cardamom, cobra's saffron (nagkesar), stone flower (dagad phool or patthar ke phool). roast till the spices become aromatic. about a minute.
making goda masala
- let all the spices and the rest of the other ingredients cool.
- in a dry grinder, grind everything in batches. i ground in two batches, so that the grinder does not have a overload. if you have a small grinder, then you will have to grind in 4 to 5 batches. while grinding due to the oil, you will have to scrape the sides and then continue to grind.
- take the ground goda masala in a bowl and mix everything well.
- then store the goda masala in an airtight jar. you can keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
how to make goda masala recipe
roasting ingredients
1. heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
2. add coriander seeds. stir often and roast them till they become fragrant and they change color. Â remove in a plate.
3. then add cumin seeds. again stir and roast them till they are fragrant and they change color. remove in the same plate.
4. next add caraway seeds and follow the same procedure.
5. now add the niger seeds/karale. these are wonderfully fragrant. just roast them till they become fragrant.
6. next to go are sesame seeds. roast till they change color. keep on stirring so that there is uniform roasting.
7. once done, then like all the other roasted ingredients, remove and keep aside in the same plate.
8. roast the desiccated coconut till they are golden. you will have to continuously stir to get a uniform golden color. to get  darker color, you can roast a tad more than what i have done.
9. add the broken dry red chilies and roast till they have a smoky pungent fragrance. you can deseed the chilies if you prefer. red chilies are also optional.
10. add asafoetida and dry roast till they get fragrant. this takes a few seconds.
11. again heat 1 tsp oil in the pan.
12. now add all the aromatic spices – cinnamon, bay leaf, black pepper, star anise, cloves, black cardamom seeds, green cardamom, cobra’s saffron (nagkesar), stone flower (dagad phool or patthar ke phool). roast till the spices become aromatic. about a minute.
making goda masala
13. let all the spices and the rest of the other ingredients cool.
14. in a dry grinder, grind everything in batches. i ground in two batches, so that the grinder does not have a overload. if you have a small grinder, then you will have to grind in 4 to 5 batches. while grinding due to the oil, you will have to scrape the sides and then continue to grind.
15. take the ground goda masala in a bowl and mix everything well.
16. then store the goda masala in an airtight jar. you can keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Dear Ruchi,
I have an 1893 Marathi recipe traditional cookbook “Paak Darpan”, please let me know if you want it
Hi,tried some of your recipes which turned out quite delicious. My grand kids enjoy the Maharshtrian dishes.While preparing the goda masala is it okay not to use coconut? Wanted to prepare had to go hunting for items like nag kesar,niger seeds. Many do not know? Thank you
thanks nancy for this lovely comment. coconut is an essential ingredient in goda masala. so i would not suggest skipping it. but you can skip nagkesar and niger seeds. hope this helps.
wow, traditional masala made with so much of efforts,really going back to the roots is so rewarding
yes of course. thanks grishma.
Hi, I have tried some of your recipes and they all turn out wonderful! I want to prepare goda masala,without sesame as my son is allergic to it. Is there any substitutes to it? Thanks!
thanks shubha. there is no substitute for sesame seeds. so you will have to skip altogether.
What if I want to add onions to it? How much onions should I add to it? As I want to make kala masala.
you can add two medium sized onions which will we be about 3/4 to 1 cup of thinly sliced onions. do slice them thinly and sun dry them. once they become cirsp, them fry them in some oil till golden. then cool and grind them with the spices.
Hey. Amazing and wonderful masala. I prepared this and used it in the making chi anti. Omg the that was superb.
Love u for ur recipes. May god bless u dear.
Thanks Jayshree for your positive feedback and best wishes.
Dassana, do the whole spices have to be roasted only? I mean can we sundry them instead?
in goda masala, the spices are always roasted. roasting brings out the flavor of the spices. you can sun dry also, but sun dry only the whole spices. sesame seeds, poppy seeds, niger seeds, hing and desiccated coconut can be roasted dry or in some oil.
Lovely..pls send me updates
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How are 25 clove just 1 tsp? Please let me know the correct quantity.
thanks sonal. its a typo. its 1 tablespoon. have corrected it.
thanx a lot for the suggestion. I shall definitely do it with half of the measuresurements as suggested by you. God bless you. Step by step along with detailed pictures are absolutely amazing . Shows your interest in teaching and really make people understand. DK
Thank you very much durga ji ☺
hello dasanna, would you please suggest as to how I can buy goda masala, and which brand you would suggest as I may not be using it regularly. Thanks, God bless you always. DK
durga ji, avoid buying ready made brands. they are not good. homemade ones are better. i had tried a couple of local brands, but not good at all. you can halve this recipe and skip ingredients like niger seeds and cobra’s saffron, if they are not available where you live.
Hi Dassana,
I just love your blog…Goda masala is like my favourite fr making usal…came across this post and tondala paani sutla…..thanks fr the amazing recipie…will try soon…..
welcome neha
Hi Dassana Amit, I like delicious food to eat as everyone does. I search for good recipes through both cooking books and net, but as spices are an important part of a recipe, I went for spices search and found Maharashtrian goda masala, read it and decided to give it a try. I will make a dish with it, but thanks for your work.
welcome satish. do try. this is a good recipe of goda masala.
hey
Wonderful recipes!!
i was wondering about the masala. we had a teaspoon of oil and roast coriander seeds and them take them in a plate. Do we add oil again for the next ingredient? or should the next ingredients either be dry roasted or roasted in the residue oil?
thanks saee. no need to add more oil for the next ingredient. there will be some residue oil. so thats kind of enough.
Dear dassana amit.. I don’t know you are a master male chef or a female cookery queen..I just want to let you know you are just wonderful ..I read your every post and the quality of your recipe and your sincere work is worth its lines in gold ..you inspire me beyond imagination .. ..I love you! Respect and love
Nukul
P.s.I will be honoured to be your protégé in cooking please keep in touch
thanks nukul for your kind and encouraging words. i am a simple home chef and i wish everyone learn simple but tasty home cooking. wish you all the best.
Hi Dasanna
I just made this goda masala. The whole house is filled with its aroma. I could get all the ingredients as I live in mumbai. Thank you so much dear Dasanna. I love your site and love the way you post the recipes.
Blessings and love
Sathya
welcome sathya. the aroma is too good when we make the goda masala at home. wish you a happy new year.
Hi Dasanna, wish you and your family a very happy new year too! God bless you!
thanks sathya for your best wishes. wishing you and your family a very happy new year.
Hi Dassana
I have only just discovered your blog and have come to fall in love with it. Thanks for all the lovely recipes and the tips that go with them.
I have tried a few recipes and they have worked out wonderfully.
I was getting together the ingredients to make goda masala , but am confused by niger seeds. Can you tell me if I can obtain it online. I am a resident of Gurgaon and could not find it anywhere here. Will it make a huge difference if I were to omit this spice?
thanks a lot rashmi. you will not get niger seeds in gurgaon. since i have stayed there, i know its difficult to get some stuff there. online too, i have not seen any website selling them. just skip them. most goda masala recipes do not have them. so its alright. but stone flower (patthar ke phool) is a must.
Hi Dassana Amit,
Thanks so much for posting the Goda Masala recipe. I have a Maharashtra Brahmin cook. I asked her about Amti powder and she did not know. When i lived in Belgaum, with my aunt, she used to make Amti and she used to make the masala to add in the recipe. We did not know the masala is called Goda masala and the dal item is called Amti. That’s the confusion. At that time, I did not pay much attention to know about the recipe, as I wasn’t married. Then suddenly I came across ur recipe for Goda masala, while searching for Amti masala. Huh! That’s my story. I love cooking, but unfortunately, I have digestive problems and I cannot eat a lot of things and spices. So I keep looking for some recipes which suit my stomach ailment. Of course Amti with Goda masala is not my cup of tea. But I have other family members for who I love to make some nice dishes. And I love all ur recipes. Thanks again.
thanks lakshmi for sharing your story. according to me both goda masala & amti masala are same but i think there are some recipes made differently too. you can try this recipe of goda masala for your family members. its a really good recipe, provided you get all the ingredients.
i am sorry to know about your digestive issues. you must be required to be careful at all times. its difficult to imagine indian food without spices. but i am sure you must have found made your own recipes by now. take care.
Thanks Dassana
welcome lakshmi
Thank you for your wonderful article, recipe and photos!
I am new to making masala and have been enjoying delicious meals as a result!
There is something new to be learned with every masala recipe!
I will now roast my ingredients separately and set aside some time for that happy chore.
welcome james. good to know this.
Hi
so nice to see kala masala recipe.
I am from Andra pradesh what is meant by
niger seeds i want to know telugu meaning of it.
thank u so much
i do not know what are niger seeds called in telugu.
Hi…i want to know how to make home made cream which can b use to make cakes and can b put to gravy please help me…
supriya, i will try to add the homemade cream post soon.
Hi what is the proportion of black pepper.
its half tsp. thanks for letting me know sheetal. i have added in the post now.
Hi I was searching for this type of aromatic masala powder for the curry and daal and finally I got it. Thanks a lot for the recipe. Keep posting.
welcome sheetalnaik
Yay for goda masala!!
Making it is a long, tiring and time-consuming process but isn’t it so totally worth it by the end of it? I don’t make the masala all by myself but usually my mom and I get together on an afternoon and make a batch enough to last us a few months. When our neighbours smell the aroma, everyone demands half a vaati of freshly made goda masala so that they can taste it 😀
thanks preeti. it is a long process. that too i just made 250 gms. i usually make these homemade masalas once i am done with all work. i know the aroma is so good. even my home was so fragrant. the flavor is amazing. already added to masale bhaat and amti and superb taste and flavor 🙂
Hi there….ur recipe for goda masala sounds great. But what are the proportions for the ingredients? You have listed all the ingredients and method but you have omitted the proportions.
Please let me know exactly how much of ingredients to use so that I get the recipe right.
Thank you. Have a nice day.
Regards,
Jayashri.
the recipe for goda masala is right at the bottom of the page. all ingredients and method given. you have to scroll down 🙂
jayashri and sanjiv, there was an issue with the mobile version. have rectified it. on the desktop and laptop the recipe details were seen. the mobile software we are using was not taking the entire recipe. so have solved this issue now.
You do not mention the Ingredients and the Instructions , so please update for all
Thanks
sanjiv, the recipe is posted at the bottom of post.
What have you done to the site? I can’t access it from my ipad 2 anymore. I used my husband’s computer to print out two recipes that we like and it would only let me print everything–12 and 27 pages! This was my go-to website. I’m sorry I will not be able to use it anymore.
Jan
jan. its unfortunate that you are leaving. but please recheck. as for us we can check the website on iphone, tab (samsung) and latops. for us, it is only giving one page print option. will love to see you back.
This goda masala is amazing but i just want to know that for what all dishes can we add this?
thanks supriya. this is already mentioned in the post (3rd paragraph)… dishes like masale bhaat, tondli bhaat (spiced ivy gourd rice), vangi bhaat (spiced brinjal rice), dal amti, matki usal, bharli bhendi (stuffed okra), bharli vangi (stuffed brinjal/aubergines), matar usal, vangi bhaji, papdi bhaji, katachi amti.