Subtle, sweet and uniquely delicious, this Maharashtrian Goda Masala recipe will lend tasty complexity to everything from sautéed veggies and rice to lentils and curries. This fragrant spice blend is the quintessential masala for the state of Maharashtra.
4black cardamoms- seeds removed and kept aside, husks discarded
5 to 6green cardamoms
7 to 8tej pattasmall-sized, (tamal patra) or 4 to 5 medium-sized tej patta
3 to 4star anise
1.5teaspoonsturmeric powder- optional
¼teaspoonasafoedita(hing), optional
2teaspoonsoil
Instructions
Roasting spices
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a heavy small frying pan or skillet.
Add coriander seeds. On low heat 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 on low heat 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 crackle and change color. Keep on stirring so that there is even roasting. Takes about 1.5 to 2 minutes on a low heat.
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.
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. Before roasting, you can deseed the chilies if you prefer.
Add asafoetida and dry roast till they get fragrant. This takes a few seconds. Remove and set aside.
Again heat 1 teaspoon 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).
On low heat, roast till the spices become fragrant. This takes 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.
Notes
Niger Seeds: Do not roast the niger seeds too much as they turn bitter. This would result in the goda masala tasting bitter. The niger seeds I get here have a nutty taste and are not bitter. If your niger seeds taste bitter, then do not use them as bitter seeds can be toxic.
Optional ingredients: From the list of the spices used in the recipe, feel free to omit poppy seeds, niger seeds, cobra's saffron and stone flower. Still I would suggest not to omit stone flower and if possible you can buy them online.
Roasting: Use a heavy frying pan or skillet, so that the spices are roasted evenly and do not get too much browned or burnt. Also remember to stir often when roasting the ingredients.