As the grains of rai danced in the kadhai, one of them jumped out to hit my cheek. The blazing February afternoon in Nashik, which was about treating the palate with native Maharashtrian dishes, soon became all about cooking it. I was stirring the kala masala tadka, an essential component of Maharashtrian cuisine, including the iconic misal.

A rare moment on the final day of my three-day retreat to the Maharashtra Eco Glamping Festival found me behind the stove in a makeshift kitchen under a tree at a biodynamic farm in Nashik. Alongside me, three women worked to fill the bare tabletop with quintessential Maharashtrian dishes.

Katachi amti, puran poli, aam ras, misal pav, and other accompaniments, including namkeen, papad, poha, and a host of vegetables, soon landed on the table. Finally, it resembled an artist’s palette who’d been long at work. Here, the artist was Madhuri Kishor Ugaokar, who helmed the makeshift kitchen.

Maharashtra’s Star Ingredient: Kala Masala

While every ingredient in a dish stands out in one way or another, a star ingredient always contributes the most to making the dish what it is. In traditional Marathi culinary delights, kala masala shines the brightest. It is a dark-roasted, aromatic spice blend known for its versatility in vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes.

It combines anywhere between 25-30 spices, including coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, kadhi patta (curry leaves), cumin seeds, cloves, chilli powder, dried coconut powder, fried onions, among others. “While the powder ingredients are the same throughout the state, the chilli levels vary from city to city,” explained Ugaokar.

Other masalas, including goda masala and kanda lasoon masala, are also quite prevalent in the state.

Colours Of Maharashtra Rolled Up In A Thali

The queen of the thali was the katachi amti, a spicy, soup-like curry usually served with rice or bhakri. It is a complex mixture of various spices and ingredients that undergo a thorough cooking process to taste as effortless as it does. Its making includes boiling and grinding a cupful of chana daal and retaining its water, which is then kept aside to be mixed in later.

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This is followed by the preparation of a spice mix consisting of fried onion, fried dried coconut, ginger, green chilli, and garlic. This mix is then shallow-fried in oil, after which the unique kala masala is added. Then, the mix of boiled chana dal and water is blended in. Ugaokar recommends adding salt and water later to the preferred consistency. While presenting, she pairs it with a portion of Indrayani rice, a variant native to the region.

Balancing katachi amti’s heat is the silky aam ras and the crispy puran poli. Ugaonkar shares the secret to making it right, and more importantly, eating it right.

Stuffed with a paste of ground chana daal and jaggery, puran poli is best eaten right off the stove without compromising on the ghee that glistens on the top. It is usually paired with aam ras, which acquires a silky texture after grinding mango pulp with milk and sugar. While it can be served cold as a drink, dipping the puran poli in it elevates its flavours even more.

The thali is incomplete without kurdya papad and kanda bhajiya (onion rings). Ugaokar tells me that the making of the kurdya papad starts with soaking wheat in water for three days and ends with drying the coiled papads in the sun. It is usually made in huge batches that last at least two or three years.

Kala Masala Recipe

• Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
• Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
• Serve: 100-150 gm of Kala Masala

Ingredients:

• Black Pepper – 20 gm
• Fennel seeds – 50 gm
• Cumin seeds- 50 gm
• Cloves – 10 gm
• Cinnamon – 6 gm
• Shahjira – 10 gm
• Star anise – 20 gm
• Green Cardamom/Veldoda – 10 gm
• Rampatri – 10 gm
• Javitri – 10 gm
• Halkund/ Turmeric seeds – 60 gm
• Heeng – 70 gm
• Dry ginger – 40 gm
• Nutmeg – 10 gm
• Stone Flower – 10 gm
• Bay leaf – 50 gm
• Spicy Chilli- 250 gm
• Kashmiri Chilli – 250 gm
• Coriander seeds – 250 gm
• Dry coconut- 250 gm
• Black cardamom – 10 gm
• Dried onion- 500 gm

Method

1. Prep the ingredients: Measure out all the spices and ingredients listed above.

2. Shallow-fry: Heat a small amount of oil in a pan on low-medium heat. Add the ingredients one by one and fry until they release their aroma and the oil becomes fragrant. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Make sure the heat is not too high to avoid burning the spices.

3. Grind: Once the spices are well fried, let them cool down. Once cooled, grind them into a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

4. Store: Store your Kala Masala in an airtight container, preferably in a dark, cool place to preserve its flavour.