Goda Masala
Spice
Top 10 pairings
Goda masala — also called kala masala ("black spice") — is the signature warm spice blend of Maharashtra in western India, a dark, glossy, sweet-savoury mix distinct from the north-Indian garam masala. Its name means "sweet spice" in Marathi (goda, "sweet"), but the sweetness is aromatic rather than sugary, built from dry coconut, sesame and a warm barks-and- seeds base rather than added sugar.
Picking a good onedrag
Just milled - dark, oily, smells sweet and roastedFaded and dusty, smells of almost nothing
The year's jarEverydayStill the blend you want. Keep it sealed, dark and away from the stove, and rub a pinch before each dal to check it still speaks.
Crush and smellClearly warm and roasted; rub a pinch between your fingers and the coconut sweetness still lifts out of the jar
ColourA deep coffee brown, clearly darker than a northern garam masala, the flecks distinct against the powder
Feel and flowA few soft lumps that collapse to nothing under a fingertip - normal in a blend carrying coconut and sesame oil
The jar and the labelA sealed jar from a shop that turns stock over, with coriander, coconut, sesame and dagad phool named on it