Masala

Definition: A masala is an Indian concoction of various Indian herbs, spices or sometimes vegetables mixed and matched together to produce a perfect blend between an ingredients which forms the base of particular dish and helps in flavoring and providing aroma for the dish.

Concept of Masala
It is obvious from the definition and by the name Masala that it has its roots deeped with the traditional culture and heritage of Indian. This Indian concoction which is now known as Masala, originated some thousand years ago when monks and ayurvedas used to blend herbs and spice, which had nutritional as well as therapeutic property in a ceramic or stone soup bowl kind of a dish to form their medicine for various illness. These blends of herbs and spices later got incorporated into dishes and thus as time passed by the concoction became more and more innovative to the up to date masala. The Indian age of Maharajas and their cooks also played a very significant role in bringing about the concept of masala with the use of freshly grown veg and spices to enhance the flavour of the dish. hhgghgn

Composition of Masala
There are basically three types of Masalas: Wet Masala. Dry Masala. Ready Made Masala.

The composition of any masala is formed by a base ingredients which may either be strong spices ( as in case of garam masala) or veg ( as incase of makhani or red or green masalas) or may in liquid from, dairy based ( as in the kofta gravy masala). The composition of masalas will vary from each dish to the hands of each chef. A rudimental sauce, has its ingredients in a fixed ratio whereas an Indian masala forms its own composition with the taste and blend of every different chef, customer, region etc.

Ready-Made Masala: With the onset of globalization the Indian housewives and modern chefs tends to adopt the condiment way of blending masala by procuring them from the near by stores in ready to use tetra packs. These ready-made masala now available on their own, are condiments easy and useful at the same time however not as effective as the kitchen made masala. It enables in standardizing the taste and flavour of a particular dish thus eliminating the innovativeness of a chef. It works as an excellent guide for beginner and amateur housewives to enable them to cook up as standardized product but at the same time decreases their knowledge about masalas and gets one addicted to it. e.g: Everest, Badshah etc are some of branded available in the local market.

Storage of Masala.
As the blend of the masala and the tedious process of making one is important, the right storage for the same must be given utmost importance. A freshly prepared kitchen masala in any form should be ideally stored in air-tight containers away from moisture or else the masala may get infested with weasels. The storage period for a kitchen made dry masala will vary anywhere from six months to a year and sometime even more depending on storage a weather condition. A freshly prepared wet masala should ideally never be stored but used immediately or else its quantity deteriorates. To enable proper storage of a wet masala a small amount of preservation (vinegar) should be added to enhance its shelf life and it must be stored in a refrigerator in an air-tight container. Please note that limejuice must never be added as a preservative because it turns the product bitter. All ready-made masalas once opened should be stored in the refrigerator or else if not opened can be stored at room temp. Whole spices should always be stored in transparent air tight conatainer which should be kept everyday for half an hour in the sun to ensure that they remain moisture free and to enhance their taste as sunlight releases their natural oils and aroma thus always retaining them fresh.

Blending of a Masala
Now a days, the modern form of blending masala is the electric blender which is extremely convenient to the Indian housewife and the modern chefs. The traditional housewife and chefs still prefer to use the Sil Batta ( a heavy triangular shaped solid coarse stone with heavy solid coarse stone baton ). The flavour and taste generated from a sil batta has no comparison to that of the traditional ways of blending masala.

Some points to be kept in mind while blending Masala:

Dry masala such as spices should be always ground in a dry mixer jar or freshly powdered in a moisture free mortar and pestle or there is a fear of formation of lumps which is nothing but moisture in the masala which tends to deteriorate the keeping quality of the masala. Any blend of a wet masala should be ground in a mixer or mashed on sil batta till its texture is as smooth as butter and its consistency is that of dropping consistency; not that of pouring or flouring. The ingredients in every masala to be blended should be properly choosen as for its perfect match with the dish ( eg like Ajwain, for fish and Asafoetida for dal ). The ingredients blends together should have enough therapeutic value as well as the ability to bring about the taste and flavour of the main ingredients fro two dush. Before blending ingredients it must be noted that a few ingredients needs to be treated before the blend such as traditionally drying of ingredients in hot sun which is now substituted by roasting them in the oven or hot tava to make them crisp or to develop a crispy texture thus enabling a finer powder, or some ingredients such as nuts and oil seed need to be boiled or immersed in hot water to soften them to enable to smooth blend of the paste. The concept of blending masala is very essential in terms of not just blending the right ingredients together but by blending the right quantities of ingredients e.g excess of whole garam masla distorts the entire taste of the masala and brings about bad flavour from the masala; too much of black salt in tandoori masala tastes and smells horrible. It may also be noted that with in a masala there may be 2 or 3 blends of masla which constitute to the flavouring taste of the dish. E.g in a tandoori masala there is a blend of both the garam amsala and the chat masla along with the tandoori masala ingredients.

Every masala has a unique factor by itself and a perfect blend of the same can be only judged by experience. The blend of a masala, even if referred to from a book, may sound and taste vague when made by an amateur because experience is the key role playing factor in a perfect blend of masala. There is no hard and fast rule for blending masala but just the few above mentioned points to be considered while performing the process of blending masala. So go ahead and innovate your own blend of masala.

Various Masalas:
1] Plain Masala: It contains roasted coriander, red chillies, turmeric, cumin and powdered fine, can also be grinded into a paste. 2] Garam Masala: It is prepared by drying cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and then powdered. 3] Pulao Masala: This Masala is used in Pulaos and the ingredients are tied in muslin cloth for cooking. Ingredients include cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, Bayleaf and badyani. 4] Dhania-Jeera Powder: Pick and apply oil to mustard seeds. Put in the sun for 2 days. On the 3 rd day, rosat and powder coriander, cumin, badyani, red chillies, fenugreek seeds, bayleaf, cinnamon, cloves, saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, mace and poppy seeds mix mustard powder sieve and tin. 5] Goda Masala: This masala is prepared by roasting coriander, cumin, dry coconut, ginagelly seeds, chilly powder, turmeric, asafetida, cinnamon, cloves and salt and then it is powdered. 6] Panch Phoran: For preparing Panch Phoran mix together mustard seeds, cumin seeds, onion seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and keep in a jar.