What it is
Kanda lasun masala, literally "onion garlic masala", is what gives Maharashtrian, and especially Kolhapuri, cooking its fierce, dark character. Unusually, the blend itself contains dried onion and garlic and dry coconut, all dry-roasted dark before grinding.
Around that smoky base sit a lot of dried chilli, coriander, cumin, sesame and warm spices, including dagad phool (stone flower) for an earthy note. It is genuinely hot.
The blend
Makes a medium jar. This is a fiery, oil-rich blend, so make a modest batch and use it up.
- Dry coconut4 tbsp
- Dried chilli · byadgi + guntur10
- Coriander seeds2 tbsp
- Cumin seeds1 tbsp
- Sesame seeds2 tbsp
- Dried garlic2 tbsp
- Dried onion3 tbsp
- Black peppercorns1 tsp
- Dagad phool, clove, cinnamonwhole
Byadgi chilli gives deep red colour with moderate heat; guntur brings the fire. Adjust the ratio to your tolerance, authentic Kolhapuri heat is fierce.
How to make it
1 · Dry-roast dark
Roast the coconut, dried onion, garlic, sesame and whole spices over low-medium heat until deeply browned and fragrant, stirring so nothing burns.
2 · Cool completely
Spread out and cool, this blend contains oil-rich coconut and sesame that must not stay warm.
3 · Grind to a coarse-fine masala
Grind the roasted mix with the chilli to a dark, slightly coarse powder.
4 · Store cool, use soon
Because of the coconut and sesame oils, keep it in a cool place and use within a few weeks before it turns.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to the base of a fiery rassa (thin curry) for chicken, mutton or misal. A little goes a long way, it is intensely hot.
Why these spices
Roasting onion, garlic and coconut dark is what builds the blend’s deep, smoky, almost umami heat, the browning (Maillard) reactions create savoury depth no fresh aromatic could. Dagad phool (stone flower, a lichen) adds an earthy, resinous note distinctive to Maharashtrian masalas. The trade-off: the coconut and sesame make it oil-rich, so it keeps less long than a pure spice blend.
The honest note
Two honest notes. It is very hot, so start with less than you think. And because of the coconut and sesame, it carries a little fat and turns rancid faster than dry spice blends, so store it cool and make small batches. Beyond that, it is a spectacular, deeply flavoured blend.