Kolhapur, a beautiful city in South-West Maharashtra, is widely celebrated for its rich and flavourful cuisine. From the fiery Tambda Rassa and soothing Pandra Rassa to delicious dry preparations and vegetarian delicacies like Misal Pav, Bharleli Vaangi, and Ghavachi Kheer, Kolhapuri food holds a special place in Maharashtrian cuisine.
The region is also famous for its large-scale jaggery production, thanks to the vast sugarcane fields surrounding the city. Beyond food, Kolhapur is renowned for its traditional jewellery, handcrafted leather chappals, and wrestling culture. Spiritually too, the city is highly revered and is often called “Dakshin Kashi” because of the divine presence of Goddess Mahalakshmi.
But the true soul of authentic Kolhapuri cuisine lies in one magical ingredient — Kolhapuri Masala.
This traditional Maharashtrian spice mix is known for its deep aroma, vibrant colour, and bold flavour. The masala is prepared using a unique combination of dry roasted spices, sesame seeds, dry coconut, garlic, and whole garam masala spices like cinnamon, cloves, mace, and star anise. The authentic flavour mainly comes from two special chillies used in Kolhapuri cooking — Bedgi Mirch, known for its rich red colour and mild heat, and Jawari Mirch, which is lighter in colour but intensely spicy.
When I came across this recipe by Prachi Joshi from GOOD FOOD Magazine (May 2014), I simply couldn’t resist trying this homemade Kolhapuri masala recipe in my kitchen.
And here it is — a wonderfully aromatic and spicy homemade masala powder that can instantly elevate curries, gravies, Misal, Tambda Rassa, and many Maharashtrian dishes.
The recipe yields approximately 250 grams of Kolhapuri masala powder. You may reduce the quantity by half if preparing a smaller batch. When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, this masala stays fresh for almost a month and when refrigerated they stay good for 6 months.
Preparation time: Around 1 hour (including cooling and grinding time)
Ingredients for Homemade Kolhapuri Masala
Oil Roast – Batch 1
- 2 tbsp oil
- 5 tsp turmeric powder
- 2½ tsp hing (asafoetida)
Oil Roast – Batch 2
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp finely chopped onions
- 1½ tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1½ tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 large bunch coriander leaves
Oil Roast – Batch 3
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 14 green cardamoms
- 4 black cardamoms
- 5–6 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 1-inch dagad phool
- 1 mace
Dry Roast – Batch 1
- 7 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp shah jeera (caraway seeds)
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
Dry Roast – Batch 2
- 3 tbsp grated dry coconut (kopparai)
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Other Ingredients
- ½ cup chilli powder
- ½ cup Degi Mirch powder
- 2½ tsp salt
How to Make Authentic Kolhapuri Masala
- First, heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add turmeric powder and hing. Roast on low flame while stirring continuously for about 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes glossy, aromatic, and thick. Keep aside.
- Wash the coriander leaves thoroughly and allow them to dry completely.
- In another pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté onions, ginger, and garlic until lightly browned. Allow the mixture to cool. Grind it together with the dried coriander leaves without adding water. Keep aside.
- Next, heat 2 tbsp oil and roast all the whole garam masala spices listed in Batch 3. Once aromatic, cool and grind them coarsely.
- Dry roast all ingredients from Dry Roast Batch 1 on low flame for about 4–5 minutes. Cool and grind into a fine powder.
- Similarly, dry roast coconut, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds together. Cool and grind them.
- Finally, combine all the prepared masalas along with the roasted turmeric-hing mixture, chilli powder, Degi Mirch powder, and salt in a large dry vessel. Mix thoroughly until everything blends well.
- Store the homemade Kolhapuri masala in a clean airtight container.
Your flavourful and spicy Maharashtrian Kolhapuri masala is now ready to use in curries, gravies, Misal Pav, Tambda Rassa, Sukka dishes, and more.
I’m now happily stocked with a big batch of this aromatic spice blend and can’t wait to experiment with it in my cooking :D
