Masale Khara

Masale Khara is used in a lot of vegetables(palle), lentils (kaal) and also to make the world famous kharbyaali or saar (curry). This can stay for atleast a year in the refrigerator. Typically in India, we can get the ingredients ready and then get those ground in the mill (girani). However outside India, we will need to resort to the good old mixer/blender! Worth the effort – in my opinion.

 Ingredients                                                                                             Quantities

i.                     Dries Byadagi Red Chillies  -  (Tumbu Tegada) or         500 gms

            Red chilli powder

ii.                   Onions ( cut longitudinally)                                                                           650 gms

iii.                  Garlic   (peeled)                                                               250 gms                               

iv.                 Ginger  (cut into small pieces)                                           100 gms

v.                   Coriander Seeds/ powder                                                500 gms       

vi.                 Cumin seeds / powder                                                     150 gms

vii.                Cinnamon sticks/powder                                                     50 gms      

viii.              Cloves                                                                                50 gms      

ix.                 Dried Coconut (Khopra)- long cut pieces                         100 gms      

x.                   White Til                                                                            50 gms

xi.                 Pepper                                                                               50 gma                              

xii.                Shajeera                                                                             25 gms                  

xiii.              Poppy Seeds                                                                      25 gms      

xiv.              Kalla whovu (flower)                                                        10 gms                  

xv.               Patri Leaves                                                                       15 gms      

xvi.              Salt and                                                                            100 gms      

xvii.            Sun Flower Oil                                                      500 ml

xviii.           Curry leaves    

Process:

• Heat 250 ml oil in a kadai
• Fry the coconut pieces till brown.  Transfer to a separate container.
• Fry coriander seeds or powder till brown and transfer to the above container.
• Roast cumin seeds/powder till brownish and transfer. To a separate container.
• Fry cinnamon, shjeera, pepper, while til, cloves, cinnamon, kallwhovu, patri leaves one by one till brownish. And transfer (mixture I)
• Heat remaining  oil. Add cut onion and roast till brown, add garlic and ginger and roast for a while, then add curry leaves and heat for a while. Remove the misture in a separate container.(mixture II)
• In the left over oil, heat red chilli powder / red chillies till brown.
• Grind mixture I and Mixture II separely and then mix it together and grind again. Mix it with the roasted chilli powder, add salt and mix the entire mixture thoroughly well to get the masala khara.

Tips and Tricks: 

• In order to preserve for long, the onon pieces should be dried in hot sun, till crisp and then fried in oil till brown.and then ground and mixed with the other ingredients

Typically used for or served with:

• Saar, Kharbyaali, kaal, palle (curries, lentils, vegetables) etc.
• You could even have it with chapatis/rotti (rolled with some ghee/oil and khara)
• You can add masala khara to plain daal, add fresh chopped onions and some ghee to make an instant entre to eat with chapatis/rotti.