The Koli Masala is a fisherfolk community special made with more than two dozen spices. It adds zest to any fish recipe but produces splendid results in meat and chicken dishes too. We tried, we know!
Provenance
On nippy nights out on high sea, a Koli fisherman - or to lift the words from Hemant Kumar’s Marathi Koli geet – the Dariyacha Raja (King of the Sea) keeps himself warm with thoughts of his reward once he reaches the shore with his catch: Pochacha Kanji, a spicy succulent prawn curry well-known to generations of fishermen. The flavour base of this dish and most others of a cuisine nurtured by Mumbai’s indigenous residents, is the homemade, hand-pounded, preservative and colour-free Koli Masala.
About The Seller
A proud member of the Mumbai-based Koli community, Jyotsna Gajanan Dhone realised that the ancestral 27-ingredient spice mix she had grown up with and helped prepare at home every year with ritualistic reverence was nowhere to be found in the city of dreams. A cornerstone of the community’s cuisine, the Koli masala is a riotous medley of flavours which emerge only when specific locally sourced ingredients are roasted and ground in the perfect proportion. Using her family’s traditional recipe, Jyotsna pursued this passion project in 2020 while working from home. As word spread amongst friends, relatives, and fans of KoIi cuisine, it seemed everyone wanted a dash of her spice mix to serve their version of a quintessential Koli meal!
- Kala Mutton
- Bharleli Chimbori
- Bambuke Bombil
Cooking time: 60 mins
Serves: 10
Ingredients
2 kg Mutton (goat meat), cut into curry pieces1 Fresh coconut (whole), grated and roasted
1 Onion, slow roasted on open flame
10 Green chillies
1 cup Mint leaves
1 large piece Ginger
2 Triphala dry berries
9 Garlic cloves
1 tsp Pepper powder
1 inch Cinnamon stick
1 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Koli masala
2 Potatoes, cut into chips
1 cup Onion, chopped
1 cup Coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
Recipe Credits:
Harsha Tapke
Seafood retailer and home chef documenting indigenous Koli community recipes
Follow her @bombaystatefisheries
1.Wash meat and set it aside in a large bowl.
2.Take a kadhai or deep pan with four tablespoons oil and fry the chopped onions until nice and brown. Add the mutton pieces and mix well on high flame first, and then medium, until it is tender. This may take a while, so, if you are in a hurry, use a pressure cooker. Add a cup of water to the meat and keep it on high flame for two whistles, followed by 10 minutes on low flame. Allow the steam to release on its own. The meat should be soft and fall off the bone.
3.Peel an onion, and hold it with a tong on a low open flame to char it. Keep turning to cover all the edges with a charred finish.
4. Prepare the green masala by grinding ginger, flame-roasted onion, green chillies, mint and coriander. Make the black masala by grinding roasted-grated coconut and all the whole spices. Add a spoon of water to make a thick, luscious paste if needed.
5.Now, transfer both masalas to the meat and mix well. In the case of pressure cooker method, transfer the cooked meat into a deep pan and place it on medium flame before adding the two masala pastes. Mix well. The meat would have released its own juices.
6.Peel the potatoes and chop into long chips. Add to the meat. Now add turmeric, Koli masala and salt, stir and cook for 15 minutes with the lid closed on low flame. If available, add the triphala berries. They will give the curry a fragrant, woody touch.
7.To prepare the tempering, heat ghee or oil in a small frying pan and add crushed garlic cloves. Allow to sizzle for a minute before tipping the contents into the meat. Stir and cook for another two minutes.
8.Serve hot with Tandlachi Bhakri or Kolam rice, sliced onion and a lemon wedge.
Cooking time: 45 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
10 medium size Crabs1 cup Fresh coconut, grated
2 Onions, thinly sliced
7 Green chillies, chopped
1 inch piece Ginger, chopped
5 Garlic cloves, chopped
2 inch Cinnamon
1 tsp Black pepper
7 green Cardamon
7 Cloves
2 tbsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Koli masala
2 cups Coriander leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
Recipe Credits:
Harsha Tapke
Seafood retailer and home chef documenting indigenous Koli community recipes
Follow her @bombaystatefisheries
For the brown mixture
1. Add sliced onions and coconut to a pan with four tablespoon oil and stir until the mixture roasts to a dark brownish. Grind the garlic, ginger and roasted coconut onion mixture to a fine paste.
For green masala
1. Grind the coriander leaves, chillies and whole garam masala to a fine paste. Set aside.
To make the curry
1. Pre-cleaned crabs are available in seafood stores or your fish monger clean them for you. Ensure that the top, hard shell is forced open and detached (place them under running water and set aside), and the dead man’s claws that sit under this shell are removed.
2.Wash the crabs under running water while being careful not to get cut by the pincers.
3.To make the masala for the stuffing, heat oil in a pan and add the brown mixture and green masala and stir well. Add the turmeric and Koli masala, stirring continuously to roast the mixture. Take off the heat, let it cool. Stuff the mixture into the empty crab shells, packing it in. Place a dollop of the masala on top of the crab too and then gently place the shell back onto the crab and press it down to ‘shut close’. Repeat for all crabs.
4.Heat a wide, deep pan and arrange the crabs inside neatly. Pour in a little water near the sides of the pan so that the base of the crabs are dipped in water. After one boil, turn the flame down, close the lid and cook for 15 minutes on simmer.
5.Uncover the pan and gently flip the crabs over in the pan before allowing them to cook for another five minutes. By now, the gravy should have thickened and a robust masala should envelope the crabs.
6Serve hot with Tandlachi bhakri.
Cooking time: 25 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 Green chillies, slit25 Half dry Bombay Ducks
3-4 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Koli masala
1/2 glass water
1 cup Coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
Recipe Credits:
Harsha Tapke
Seafood retailer and home chef documenting indigenous Koli community recipes
Follow her @bombaystatefisheries
1.Take a vessel and heat two tablespoon oil. Add the half dried Bombay Ducks, garlic, chillies, Koli masala and turmeric powder. Mix well and sauté on medium flame. Add water, and salt if needed (dried fish usually has salt). Stir and cover the vessel. Cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
2.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Tandlachi bhakri.
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Customer Reviews
I have been using aazol products since the start of their journey. Being a CKP and a foodie im constantly in search of food products that are genuine and authentic,i ordered aazol and since then im using all their products . Specially koli masala,khada masala,kakvi and indrayani rice .
It truely reignites your ajji’s(grandmother) memories.🫶🏼
Very tasty traditional masala
Dear Prakash,
Thank you for this lovely review of yours. You are right in that the Koli Masala is an immensely tasty masala that genuinely has the capability of elevating any dish. The fact that it is traditionally made by a Koli lady in one of Mumbai's large Koliwadas using a multi-generational family recipe and over two dozen spices just makes it absolutely mouth-watering.
Hope you continue enjoying this masala and many more other excellent Aazol products over the coming times. Looking forward to that. The very best to you from the entire Aazol team.
I bought this masala on a whim for trying out but it turned out to taste really great. Goes well with all kinds of seafood and has a good balance of all the different individual masalas.
The most authentic Koli masala I have used. A little goes a long way. Full of flavour. Is now a staple in my kitchen for cooking fish
A very very authentic koli fish masala. Lot of masalas may give you a confused flavor but this koli fish masala will remind you of something original you had at your Koli friends home. Superb!
Dear Praviin,
Thank you so much for this kind review. We're so happy you enjoyed our Koli Masala. We're especially proud of how authentic our products are, so for you to recognise that and tell us how it sparked a wonderful memory means the world to us.
Hoping to see you become a long-term customer of Aazol now! Do take care and looking forward to your next order.
Customer Reviews
I have been using aazol products since the start of their journey. Being a CKP and a foodie im constantly in search of food products that are genuine and authentic,i ordered aazol and since then im using all their products . Specially koli masala,khada masala,kakvi and indrayani rice .
It truely reignites your ajji’s(grandmother) memories.🫶🏼
Very tasty traditional masala
Dear Prakash,
Thank you for this lovely review of yours. You are right in that the Koli Masala is an immensely tasty masala that genuinely has the capability of elevating any dish. The fact that it is traditionally made by a Koli lady in one of Mumbai's large Koliwadas using a multi-generational family recipe and over two dozen spices just makes it absolutely mouth-watering.
Hope you continue enjoying this masala and many more other excellent Aazol products over the coming times. Looking forward to that. The very best to you from the entire Aazol team.
I bought this masala on a whim for trying out but it turned out to taste really great. Goes well with all kinds of seafood and has a good balance of all the different individual masalas.
The most authentic Koli masala I have used. A little goes a long way. Full of flavour. Is now a staple in my kitchen for cooking fish
A very very authentic koli fish masala. Lot of masalas may give you a confused flavor but this koli fish masala will remind you of something original you had at your Koli friends home. Superb!
Dear Praviin,
Thank you so much for this kind review. We're so happy you enjoyed our Koli Masala. We're especially proud of how authentic our products are, so for you to recognise that and tell us how it sparked a wonderful memory means the world to us.
Hoping to see you become a long-term customer of Aazol now! Do take care and looking forward to your next order.
FAQs
What is Koli Masala?
Koli Masala is the resident masala of the Kolis, Mumbai's earliest inhabitants. This masala is used by every Koli household to make their delicious seafood dishes.
Where does Aazol source its Koli Masala from?
Aazol sources its Koli Masala from a lovely Koli lady residing in a fishing village in Mumbai.
What are the ingredients used in Aazol's Koli Masala?
Aazol's Koli Masala is made with Red Chilli, Black Pepper, Coriander, Clove, Mustard and Khade Masale (Whole Garam Masalas).
Is the Koli Masala only used for seafood?
While Koli Masala is primarily used to make seafood, you can even use it to make other delicious non-vegetarian dishes!
Is the Koli Masala vegan?
Yes, Aazol's Koli Masala is completely vegan!
Is Aazol's Koli Masala gluten-free?
Yes, Aazol's Koli Masala is 100% gluten-free.
Does Aazol's Koli Masala contain any added preservatives?
Aazol's Koli Masala is made using natural spices, so you can be rest assured that it is free of any preservatives.
What is the shelf life of Aazol's Koli Masala?
Aazol's Koli Masala can easily last for 6 months, but owing to how tasty it is, we can guarantee you it won't stay on your shelf for that long!
