Poori Masala | Puri Curry (Hotel Style Recipe)

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This Poori Masala is a delicious hotel style recipe to make the potato curry or gravy that is always enjoyed with poori. This dish gets its name Poori Masala or Puri Curry as it is served as a side dish with Poori (Indian fry bread). This South Indian Puri Curry is made with boiled potatoes, lots of onions, spices, lentils and herbs. Make this flavorful and tasty dish for a comforting weekend breakfast.

poori masala and aamras, served in two glass bowls with poori on a white plate with text layovers.

About Poori Masala

There are many potato based curries made in the vast Indian cuisine. The Poori Masala is a special and unique potato gravy that is mostly served with poori. But the gravy is so good that it also tastes great with Dosa or poha dosa, Rava Dosa or even phulka.

This combination of poori with a potato gravy is very popular all over India. While the poori recipe remains the same, the potato gravy takes on different flavors and tastes.

This recipe is a South Indian variation of North Indian Aloo Puri and its taste is very different than the North Indian variations. As typically ingredients like mustard seeds, lentils, curry leaves etc are not used in the North Indian variants.

The South Indian variants also include plenty of onions while making this dish. Even in the various South Indian states and regions, this dish has some variations. In the state of Maharashtra, it is made again very differently and known as Poori Bhaji.

The dish is one of those curried potato dishes that I sometimes make on Sundays. Not that I make poori every time. I also make phulka or dosa to go along with this dish.

Poori Curry makes for a good breakfast or lunch or brunch. When I took the photos, I had also made Aamras to go along with the poori. This combination of aamras and any potato sabji with pooris is too good.

You can serve the potato gravy with Poori or phulka or with a side of chopped onions or coconut chutney.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Poori Masala

Cook Potatoes

1. First rinse 2 large sized potatoes (about 400 grams) in fresh water a few times. Then Boil or steam the potatoes in a stovetop pressure cooker or steamer or Instant pot.

If pressure cooking, then pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium heat adding enough water covering the potatoes. They should be softened and fork tender.

steamed two potatoes in a pan.

2. When the potatoes are still warm, peel and crumble them. You can also chop them and keep them aside. You should be able to get 2 cups of tightly packed crumbled potatoes.

crumbled potatoes in a glass bowl.

Sauté Spices, Onions

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan or kadai or wok. You can use any neutral flavored oil. Lower the heat and add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. Crackle them.

mustard seeds in oil in pan.

4. Then add the following ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons chana dal (husked split bengal gram)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked split black gram) – optional
more spices and lentils in pan.

5. Stir and fry till the lentils become golden. Ensure that the lentils turned golden but should not get burnt. So stir often on a low heat.

frying lentils and spices in pan

6. Then add 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger, 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies and 10 to 12 curry leaves.

You can reduce the amount of green chilies if you want. The chilies I used were very mild, so I added 2 of them.

chopped ginger, curry leaves, green chillies in pan.

7. Then add 8 to 10 cashews, which have been chopped. Feel free to skip cashews if you have nut allergy.

chopped cashews in pan.

8. Stir and then add 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions (1 large onion, sliced). Instead of onions you can add shallots or pearl onions.

sliced onions in pan.

9. Add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and ⅓ to ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.

To make a gluten-free dish you can skip asafoetida and serve this Poori Curry with dosa or roti or poori made from gluten-free flours or millet flours.

turmeric powder on sliced onions in pan.

10. Stir and mix very well. Saute the onions on low to medium low heat stirring often till they turn translucent.

cooked onions in pan.

11. Now add 2 teaspoons besan or gram flour.

gram flour on top of cooked onions in pan.

12. Stir and mix the gram flour very well with the rest of the ingredients.

gram flour mixed and sautéed with onions

13. Add ¼ cup chopped tomatoes (about 1 small tomato, chopped). Tomatoes give a light tang to the dish.

Adding tomato is optional and you can skip it. Stir and saute the tomatoes for 2 minutes.

chopped tomatoes on a bed of cooked onions in pan.

Make Poori Masala

14. Then add 1.25 to 1.5 cups water. You can vary the amount of water depending upon the consistency you prefer.

For a thicker consistency add less water and for a slightly thinner gravy consistency add a bit more water.

water in pan with cooked onions and other ingredients.

15. Stir and mix very well.

puri curry getting ready to cook.

16. Bring this mixture to a simmer without a lid for about 4 to 5 minutes on low to medium heat.

simmering puri curry in pan.

17. Now add the crumbled or chopped potatoes and stir very well.

potatoes on the curry in pan.

18. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the gravy for 4 to 5 minutes on low to medium heat. 

The gravy should thicken and have the right consistency that is not too thick nor thin. But according to your preferences, you can vary the consistency.

pan covered with lid.

19. Season with salt as per taste. Mix the salt with the rest of the puri curry. You can also add a bit of sugar if you want.

salt being added to poori masala in pan.

20. Lastly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Stir very well and switch off the heat.

chopped cilantro on top of puri curry in pan.

21. Serve South Indian Poori Masala with poori or chapati or dosa or paratha. It makes for a filling and comforting meal for breakfast or lunch.

poori masala in a glass bowl with puri placed at the top.

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

poori masala and aamras, served in two glass bowls with poori on a white plate with text layover.

Poori Masala Recipe | Puri Curry

This South Indian Poori masala or Puri Curry is made with boiled potatoes, aromatics, herbs, lentils and spices. Make this flavorful and tasty potato gravy for a comforting breakfast. Best paired with poori and also pairs well with dosa or chapati.
4.80 from 53 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Cuisine South Indian, Tamil Nadu
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 3
Units

Ingredients

  • 2 potatoes – large sized, 400 grams or 2 cups tightly packed crumbled boiled potatoes
  • 1 cup thinly sliced onions – 150 grams or 1 large onion
  • ¼ cup chopped tomatoes – 40 to 50 grams or 1 small tomato, optional
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger – or 1 to 1.5 inches ginger
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies 2 to 3 green chilies, reduce the amount of green chilies if you want
  • 1 sprig curry leaf or 10 to 12 curry leaves
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons chana dal (husked split bengal gram)
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked split black gram), optional
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • ⅓ to ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 8 to 10 cashews – chopped
  • 2 teaspoons besan (gram flour)
  • 1.25 to 1.5 cups water or add as required
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required, optional
  • salt as required

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Rinse the potatoes very well in water Boil or steam them in a pressure cooker or steamer or Instant Pot. If pressure cooking, then pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium heat with water completely covering the potatoes.
  • Cook potatoes until they are softened and fork tender. Drain the water and set aside the potatoes to cool.
  • When the potatoes are still warm, peel and crumble them. You can also chop them and keep aside.
  • Peel, rinse and thinly slice the onions. Also chop the tomatoes, ginger, green chilies and coriander leaves. Rinse and dry the curry leaves in a kitchen towel. Chop the cashews.

Sautéing spices, onions and tomatoes

  • Heat in a pan or kadai (wok). Lower the heat and add mustard seeds. Crackle them.
  • Then add the chana dal, cumin seeds and urad dal (optional).
  • Stir and fry till the dals or lentils become golden ensuring that they do not burn.
  • Add finely chopped ginger, chopped green chilies and curry leaves.
  • Then add the cashews, which have been chopped.
  • Stir and then add the thinly sliced onions.
  • Add a pinch of asafoetida and turmeric powder.
  • Stir very well and sauté the onions till they become translucent.
  • Now add the besan or gram flour. Mix the besan very well with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Add chopped tomatoes. Adding tomatoes are optional and you can skip it. Stir and sauté the tomatoes for 2 minutes.

Making Poori Masala

  • Then add water. Mix very well.
  • Bring this mixture to a simmer. About 4 to 5 minutes on a low to medium heat.
  • Now add the crumbled or chopped potatoes and stir very well.
  • Cover and simmer the potato gravy for 4 to 5 minutes on a low to medium heat. The gravy should thicken and have a right consistency which is not too thick nor thin.
  • Season with salt as per taste. Mix the salt with the rest of the potato gravy. You can also add a bit of sugar if you want.
  • Lastly add the chopped coriander leaves. Stir very well and switch off the heat.
  • Serve Poori Masala or Puri Curry with poori or chapati or dosa.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Poori Masala Recipe | Puri Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 281 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Sodium 507mg22%
Potassium 750mg21%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 269IU5%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 40mg200%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 102mg124%
Vitamin E 4mg27%
Vitamin K 7µg7%
Calcium 66mg7%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 442µg111%
Iron 3mg17%
Magnesium 63mg16%
Phosphorus 141mg14%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Poori Masala recipe post from the archives first published in June 2015 has been republished and updated on 3 October 2021.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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84 Comments

  1. Followed your wonderful recipe exactly as written. It’s a great, simple dish with nice flavor. Thank you so much!
    Happy New Year!!5 stars

    1. Welcome and thanks for the positive feedback on the recipe. Wish you too a happy new year.

  2. The curry tasted best I have ever made following your recipe 😋😋5 stars

  3. Hi Dassana,
    Hope your doing good ????
    I’m such a fan of your blog/site. I have been following it for a few years now. And have always had a wonderful outcome. I’m not a regular cook but sometimes when the moment arises or I feel like treating my husband to something delicious I faithfully search for your recipes and take on the dish. Today I made misal pav and it turned out so good ..I myself couldn’t believe it hahah???? the way you write the quantity the pictures you put up of each step followed really helps..I really want to thank you for allowing us to enjoy your passion too. I’m gonna try the puri bhaji recipe Tom ???? hope it turns out great. Also could you put up a recipe of some cold salad noodles with thai sauce ..would love to have your version of it. Cheers Dassana and much love5 stars

    1. hi poonam. i am good. hope the same for you too. thanks for this lovely comment. poori masala will taste good. i can guarantee the recipe. it is a favorite at home and has been tried and tested by readers too. i have taken a note of cold salad noodles recipe. will try to add.
      thanks again and hugs. wish you all the best.

  4. Lovely Recipe,,,, Thank you so much for sharing your blog, Dassana.
    I used green capsicum instead of onions, and I think you could add different Veggies also. Love the idea of Besan Flour to thicken it.
    Just a small question,,,,,should the channa dall end up cooked or slightly cooked ?5 stars

    1. thanks anthony. yes the recipe can be made with different vegetables. chana dal has to be just cooked. the chana lentils should not be mushy but have a slight bite in them like an al dente texture of rice. hope this helps.

  5. Was not sure if you got my earlier email…so reposted it and then realised that you have already replied ..

    It is amazing that you not run this wonderful blog but reply to so many queries and comments!

    thanks again
    Anu

    1. i reply everyday to the comments anuradha ????. yes sometimes some comments do not get posted as the system rejects them if it finds some spammy words in it.

      thank you and welcome ????

  6. Hi Dassana,
    Made potato masala today following your recipe to the T. It tastes soo good. Did not have time to make poori or chapati so served it on a toasted bread bun as after school snack for my son.

    He enjoyed it and asked ” can you make this same thing all the 5 days of the school week ?

    Thank you so much!
    Best regards, Anu

    1. thats sweet ???? you can add some variations like grated carrots and peas just to make the potato masala more healthier. thanks anuradha for sharing this lovely feedback.

  7. Thank yo for so much for this recipe. I owe you big time.
    I didn’t have mustard seeds, curry leaves, cashews and gram flour. I tried without these ingredients and it was good, wondering how awesome that could have been with those ingredients.
    I just need to know the purpose of adding gram flour. Please help.

    And again I’m a big fan of your recipes, my mum is not well so nowadays I cook for her and the dishes comes out to be so delicious that she loves it.5 stars

    1. welcome palak. feels good to know that you are taking cake of your mom and she is liking the food that you are cooking. for poori masala, if possible try adding mustard, curry leaves, cashews if you can. gram flour is used to thicken the gravy as well as make it smooth. not essential though as poori masala can be made without besan also. in hotels in south india, they add gram flour in the potato masala.

  8. This is one of the most perfect dish I ever made..that day two of hubby’s friend appeared suddenly and immediately thought of making poori and this for breakfast. As it is quicker than our roti-vaji. I skipped curry leaves as cant tolerate the smell, didn’t have cashews, who cares!!Oooo….one friend said he would go to one indian restaurant and wait from 7 am to eat this same dish for breakfast and if he goes later wud finish. Couldn’t understand how I managed to duplicate. I am supposed to be Bangali…? The only prob was the poori disappeared faster than I could fry. Thank u soo much again , Dassana. I am getting quite addicted to indian cooking. Your layout for the recipes is the culprit-so intresting yet so simply shown. So much love for you.5 stars

    1. thanks kimia. the way you have written shows the thankfulness and gratitude you have. thanks a ton 🙂

      poori masala is a favorite south indian tiffin breakfast. the friend is right. if the taste is good, the poori masala disappears very fast. next time try adding a few curry leaves. they give a nice aroma. you can just add 3 to 4. you will get the authentic taste. cashews can be given a skip.

  9. Hi Dassana,

    I’m going to try this recipe for lunch today. after browsing a few recipes i noticed you have a nice set of measuring spoons, where did you get them from?

    1. i bought these measuring spoons from a local super store here. and thanks.

  10. Hi , I should thank u for easy recipes….got interest in cooking after going through ur recipes..its really easy to make….

  11. Hi Dassana

    How r u…this might be unrelated but one of my friend is going to USA …can u suggest anything to get from there for me related to baking ingredients which u feel is worth buying there….expecting ur reply

    1. helen, i am fine. i have no idea because most of baking stuff is available in india now. but you can go for good quality cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chocolate bars for baking.

  12. You are just Superbbb…Before marriage I don’t like to go in kitchen.. but now I start cooking..after read your recipes now I am doing this with more an more interest…

  13. Hii..mam I m maharashrtean but my hasbend is South this racepi is very useful for me..his like your all racepis then thanku so much …your racepi and this photos…4 stars

  14. Hi,this is kishore,thank you for all your great work,I frequently follow this site,I have learn so much from this,recently I have tried this Poori masala,I don’t know so far that a gear chef hidden inside me ,that all credit goes to you only,after all thank you by now .5 stars

    1. welcome kishore. nice to read your positive feedback. thanks for your kind words.

  15. Hi dassana,
    I tried this recipe today. Since I did not have green chilli , I added red chilli pdr and still It was excellent… Thanx again.
    I hav a doubt.. Y is hing added to certain dishes only ?? Which kinda dishes is hing gen added ?? Is there any sp role of hing in enhancing the flavour or anything ??
    Thanx in advance…

    1. thanks for sharing the positive feedback kalpana. hing is added to not only give a subtle aroma to the dish but also it helps in digestion. in most potato based gravies or sabzis hing is added. in satvic indian cuisine, hing is used as a substitute for garlic and onions. so you will see that in most no onion no garlic recipes, hing is added. i also add hing in all the dals i make as it helps in digestion and give a nice aroma to the dish. though just add a pinch, otherwise the dish can get ruined with its strong pungent taste and flavor.

  16. Hi dassana,

    I tried your every version of potato gravy and they turn awesome. Thankyou for sharing nice and easy recipes.

    I have one query regarding vanilla icecream which i tried…i think i come to soft serve after whisking cream for 2 minutes…then also there is ice crystal formation in icecream…i am going wrong somewhere…please help

    Thank you5 stars

    1. welcome rutba. if there are ice crystals you just whip the ice cream again and freeze it. some times ice crystals do appear in the ice cream. so the tip is to whip the ice cream and freeze it. this whipping of the ice cream can be done twice or thrice to get a softer texture.

  17. Is there any alternative for kadhi leaves.pls suggest me. Where i can find kadhi leaves i don’t know.

    1. no alternative. you can grown your own plant if you are not able to get them where you live.

  18. Your recipes are too good and I tried so many dishes. Thanku so much for sharing these recipes and especially with the images.
    Grt job

  19. Dear Dassana,

    I tried bharwan bhindi yesterday night for the first time from your recipe and it came out amazingly well. Thank you for that. I have one question though – Why am i not able to post comment in bharwan bhindi recipe itself? I don’t see comment option there.

    1. thanks for the feedback apurva. we have closed the comments on the older recipe posts for the time being due to us being short of time and also due to spam and unrelated comments. we are looking into what can be done.

    1. just to give a smoothness to the gravy. does not help much in thickening as less amount is added.

      1. I have been looking for this recipe for a long time now. I will try it as soon as I can. I also loved the tip of adding besan. I have never tried adding besan in a curry. Sounds interesting. Thanks again. 🙂

  20. Thank you so much mam…it will really work…besides your recipes the best part of your website is that you reply so quickly….till now in my baking experience my only success was whole wheat butter biscuits…but mam i didnt understand y we used chilled butter in making these cookies whereas we use butter at room temperature in all other cookies ?

    1. thanks shuchi. there are two methods of making cookies. one is the creaming method, where softened butter or semi solid ghee is beaten with powdered sugar. here the butter+sugar is beaten till the mixture becomes light and soft. now this beating helps in making the cookies light and crumbly. other method is use chilled butter and cut the butter in the flour. this gives you a bread crumb like texture which again helps in making cookies crumbly. so a recipe can have either of this method. based on the recipe, the cookie can be chewy or light or soft or dense or too crumbly.

  21. Thanks for all your recipes. I tried your paneer tikka masala. It turned out to be very tasty..

  22. hi,there is no link for leaving a reply in your baking section thats why i am leaving a rp here..i made nankhatai in my 28 litres otg as per your recipe keeping the both heating elements on and also keeping the black tray at second rack as my otg has four racks..i preheated the otg at 180 degree c for ten minutes and baked nankhatai at the same temperature for first ten mins.after ten mins i checked them and saw the bottom getting brown and top part was completely uncooked then i changed the heat to top for two mins…after removing the tray out my nankhatai got little hard like biscuits..they were not soft at all..i got very disappointed,,as i m new at baking and very passionate about this ,,,so plz guide me what did happen wrong…?and using black tray doesnot give better results?and one more question …which metal utensils can we use to make cake and the proper size also…

    1. hi shuchi, baking is quick in a dark colored pan. aluminum pans are lighter and reflect heat whereas black pans absorb heat. hence dark or colored pans bake in less time. since the bottom heating element was much closer to the pan, thats why the base has got browned. hardness could also be due to too much kneading or mixing of the dough. i don’t think here hardness is due to the heating elements issue or the temperature. cookies and biscuits should be just lightly mixed and gathered together to form a dough. they are not kneaded even lightly like chapati dough. you just have to gather the mixture and not knead it. even the mixing should not be over done. use black tray when you want to get quicker results. and if using a black tray then you have to reduce the temperature and time a bit. best is to use aluminium utensils.

  23. Hello Dassana,

    This is one potato dish which I always love with poori’s more than anything else. Its quite similar to my mom’s recipe minus the tomatoes & Besan flour. she adds a 2-3 spoons of grated carrots & some peas as a variation. But this is very yum yum and just reading the recipe is mouth watering.

    One suggestion / request – Like you have a collection of mushroom, gobi, palak recipes, you can add a potato collection too. Its easy to search 😛

    Happy cooking
    Lalitha4 stars

    1. thanks lalitha for sharing your mom’s variation. i also add green peas at times. we will make a collection of potato recipes. we have to as we have some more potato recipes coming up 🙂

  24. Its better to add besan mixed with water to make it lump free. It is also easy to mix that way….. An all time favorite in south….. My personal favorite too 🙂5 stars

    1. thank you priya. no need to add besan mixed with water. as we are adding very less amount, so lumps are formed.

  25. Made kaju katli yesterday and it came out very well. Thanks a lot for the detailed recipe. It was my first attempt to make it 🙂

  26. Dear dassana,
    I’m frm south India and love this dish which goes so well with dosa on a weekend…
    Thanks a ton for posting this recipe …..4 stars

  27. Dear Dassana,

    I tried this aloo masala and it turned out to be good. I just did one addition and that was to add some red chilli powder because i wanted it to be be spicy 🙂

    In all a good twist to the normal aloo sabji. I have made jeera aloo before but this time i wanted a gravy dish :). Thanks once again.

  28. Dear Dassana,

    I think this has been long time coming. I came across your blog almost a month back and since then I have been trying many recipes. I was always in the habit of consulting 2-3 recipes and then mixing all three and making my own version of it but now most of the time i just follow yours. Recipes are simple and easy to understand specially for beginners. I have tried many dishes and all of them came out extremely well, but special mention goes to coconut laddoo with condensed milk. The melt in mouth laddoos were to die for. Thank you so much for that one. One variation which i did was – I soaked 1/2 kg dessicated coconut in 250 ml of milk for an hour before sauteing in ghee. I will be trying bharali bhindi soon and will let you know how it goes. I am also a passionate cook and foodie and i am delighted by seeing the same in you. I always keep on trying different cuisines and this blog is paradise for me. I feel like a kid lost in wonderland :P. I want to try all your recipes at once but time is an issue 😉 but definitely will keep you posted. Keep up the good work and all the very best for your future endeavours 🙂
    Till then happy cooking!!!

    P.S. – One more thing – I was wondering how to make potato sabji with a slight twist to go with my palak paratha and here you came to my rescue. Will be trying this recipe tomorrow morning. Thanks once again.

    1. thanks you very much apurva for such an encouraging comment. same pinch 🙂 when i go out to dine in restaurants i become a lost foodie and get confused what to order. but the rest of my family is pretty happy ordering their punjabi food. for the potato recipes, i have posted many recipes. you can even simply make a jeera aloo and that too goes very well with palak or gajar paratha.

  29. hello dassana,

    thanks a lot for all your recipes…just tried this and it turned excellent.
    Cannot stop appreciating your effort and love in posting these recipes and also ur patience in replying to every comment in a very humble way….keep going and very best wishes for all that are yet to come….As in India we believe that feeding a stomach with neat,healthy and nutritious food is nothing less to a God’s boon…thank you for inspiring us to cook and bringing a smile on to their faces after every meal.
    May God bless you and ur family with health,happiness and prosperity..5 stars

    1. thanks rupa for the positive review and also for your kind wishes. truly humbled and speechless 🙂

      1. I was very much interested to have the Roopak” PuriAloo Masla.
        I cook very ofen vesitable Aloo Gabi , and have used this Masla
        , it has a an excellent flavour and test, lookin for to Buy this masla , can you help me , I stay very near to Hamburg In Germany