Bhaja masala recipe | Bhaja moshla | Bengali bhaja masala | Bengali roasted spice mix

Bengalis always refer this bhaja masala as bhaja moshla. In Bengali language ‘bhaja’ means ‘roasted or bhuna’ and ‘moshla’ means ‘masala’.

In Bengali cuisine, bhaja masala has occupied an important part in flavouring food. It is not only limited in savouries but also used in condiments and beverages as well. I know its jaw dropping for many of you who are not very familiar with this spice mix but it’s true.

Recipes with bhaja masala

Bhaja masala is one of the most versatile spice mixes that I have ever seen in my life. It has always occupied a special place in Bengali culinary because of its spectacular aroma. It is used in different types of chutneys, achar, beverages, side dishes and many other Bengali snacks recipes.

Bhaja masala is one of the key ingredients of flavouring Ghugni, mangsher ghugni, phuchka, vegetable chop, Bengali singara, Niramish alur dom, aam pora sarbat, aamer achar, kuler achar and many more. Countless recipes have been enhanced with this magical spice mix.

Types of bhaja masala

Normally, in Bengali household bhaja masala is prepared in two different ways. The regular one is the simple one prepared with lesser spices which is used in regular cooking. In this spice mix, only cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dry red chilli is used.

The special type of bhaja masala is prepared with different ranges of spice mix which gives unbeatable flavour. It is used as key ingredient for flavouring in many authentic Bengali dishes.

Today, I am going to share the second type of bhaja masala recipe with you.

I am a Bong and I have seen huge usage of bhaja masala recipe in different vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes since my childhood. The most common spice mix that I have seen my mom to prepare at home are roasted panch phoran powder and bhaja masala.

She always used to tell me that panch phoran recipe and bhaja moshla are the topmost priority spices of Bengali kitchen pantry. So, she always insisted me to have a spare of these essential ground spices in my pantry. She never runs out of these spices in her kitchen. According to me, most of the Bengali mothers prefer to keep the bhaja masala handy in her kitchen.

Bhaja masala is a very simple and easy recipe. It requires very commonly used spices to prepare the bengali roasted spice mix. It hardly takes 5-6 active minutes to get prepared. In many parts of east India, this bhaja masala is available in stores but for many Bengalis who are out of state, it’s difficult to get it. In this situation, DIY homemade bhaja masala recipe always helps a lot. Most importantly the flavour of the bhaja masala recipe is much better than the market bought ones.

DIY Recipe

Now a days, DIY recipe has become very trendy. There are many sound reasons behind it and COVID 19 is one of them which has changed our entire lifestyle now. Apart from that, another main reason is health awareness.

With the exchange of little effort, few things we can made better than the market selling goods. In today’s world, though many things are easily available globally but still in many cases DIY Recipe helps a lot to up bring the authenticity of many traditional food.

Bhaja masala Recipe with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the Bengali bhaja masala.

Tips to prepare perfect bhaja masala

How to make bhaja masala?

To prepare the panch phoran masala, I have used Cumin seeds, Fennel seeds, Coriander seeds, Fenugreek seeds, bay leaf and dry red chilli. I have used one dry red chilli because I prefer lesser hot spice mix. If you like the heaty version, then you can add upto two more extra dry chillies into the recipe.

I have added lesser amount of fenugreek seeds as compared to the other spices into the bhaja masala recipe due to its bitter taste. Addition of too much fenugreek seeds may spoil the taste of the Bengali bhaja masala.

I have not used cardamom, cinnamon stick or cloves into the spice mix because they are strong in flavour and addition of these spices would make the bhaja masala smell like garam masala. So, I avoided these spices into the recipe.

To prepare the bhaja masala, first put the pan on flame and make it completely dry. When the pan gets warm, add the bay leaf and dry red chilli into the pan and dry roast them for 1 minute in medium low flame. Stir them frequently.

Add rest of the spices, I mean cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and give a nice mix. Stir them continuously and dry roast them for 3-4 minutes in medium low flame.

It is very difficult to handle the spices in high temperature. They can sear and it will be very difficult to combat. So, I have roasted the spices in medium low flame. I would recommend being patient in the process of roasting the spices.

It is very important to stir the seeds vigorously during the time of dry roasting. It helps to roast the seeds evenly or else they can get burnt or over roasted from the bottom.

Transfer the spices on a separate dry plate. It is very important to transfer them on a separate plate. If you keep the spice mix in the hot pan, then the spices will either get over roasted or can also get burnt.

Allow the spices to come to room temperature. Then transfer the spices into the jar of grinder and pulse them to a fine powder. This way it both tastes and flavours better.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds (Dhaniya)
• ½ tablespoon Fennel seeds (Saunf)
• ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
• 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
• 1 dry Red Chilli (Sukhi lal mirch)

1. Take a pan on flame and put the flame in medium low. Let the pan become completely dry.
2. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 dry red chilli into the pan and dry roast them for 1 minute in medium low flame. Stir them frequently.
3. Add 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds, ½ tablespoon Fennel seeds one by one into the pan and give a nice mix.
4. Dry roast the whole spices in medium low flame for 3-4 minutes until the spice mix change the colour slightly. Stir the whole spices continuously with the help of a wooden spatula. When the spice mix is done, you will get a nice redolent flavour from it.
   Tip: In this process, you need to be patient. The spices must be roasted in lower heat or else it can get burnt or may remain unroasted from inside.
5. Switch off the flame and transfer the spices immediately on a separate dry plate. Spread the spices on a plate and let it rest until the spice mix cools down completely to room temperature.
6. Transfer the spices into a small jar of the grinder and put on the lid of the jar. Pulse it for a minute to make fine dust.
7. Transfer the powder in an airtight container and keep it with your kitchen essentials.

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