East Indian Bottle Masala Recipe, How to make homemade East Indian Bottle Masala
Bottle Masala Recipe – Homemade East Indian Bottle Masala – The bottle masala is a special blend of selected spices that East Indians make every summer, a ritual that can still be seen in a Mumbai suburb like Bandra.
Ingredients
- 250 grams Kashmir Chillies Kashmiri Mirch
- 25 grams Reshampati Chillies Reshampatti Mirch
- 25 grams "Goa" Chillies Goa Mirch
- 100 grams Coriander seeds Dhania
- 20 grams Cumin seeds Jeera
- 20 grams Black Peppercorns Kali Mirch
- 20 grams Wheat Gehu
- 40 grams Sesame seeds Til
- 40 grams Poppy seeds Khus khus
- 40 grams Mustard seeds Rai
- 40 grams Chick Peas Chana dal
- 6 inches Cinnamon sticks Dal Chini
- 7 piece Cardamom Elaichi
- 12 piece Cloves Laung
- 30 grams Turmeric Haldi
- 1 teaspoon Asafoetida Hing
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg Jaiphal
- 1 teaspoon Mace Javitri
- 1 teaspoon Mugwort Maipatri
- 1 teaspoon Cobra Saffron Seeds Nagkesar
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan Peppercorns tirphal
- 1 teaspoon Allspice Kababchini
- 1 teaspoon Star anise Bhadyan
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds Saunf
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds Methi seeds
- 1 teaspoon Bay leaves Sambharpan
- 1 teaspoon Stone Flower Dagarphul
- 1 teaspoon Black Cumin Shahi Jeera
Instructions
- Dry all the ingredients under hot sun consecutively for 2 days. Alternatively, you can dry roast the ingredients in a hot pan until you smell their fragrance.
- If dry roasting, start with chillies by discarding their stems and breaking them into two parts.
- Put a wide frying pan on low flame & gently roast until their skin darkens slightly. Keep stirring continuously.
- Similarly, roast the rest of the ingredients for 7-8 mins on low heat or until they are very fragrant and aromatic. Keep stirring in between.
- The ingredients with quantities of 1 teaspoon (each) can be roasted together.
- Let all the roasted ingredients cool to room temperature before moving to the next step.
- Put all the ingredients in a dry spice grinder and run the machine until the spices are finely powdered.
- Sieve and repeat this procedure with the thicker pieces remaining in the sieve.
- Allow the ground mixture to cool and store in a sterilised airtight bottle or container.
- Store it away from heat and sunlight preferably in the refrigerator.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 700 gms of Bottle Masala - probably the most complex spice blend in India or maybe the world.
- Roast the ingredients in a heavy bottom frying pan on low heat to avoid burning.
- Ingredients can be roasted in an electric oven as well.
- Ideally, the grinding of the spices should be done in a manual pounding mill, however, if speed is of essence you can opt for a dry grinder.