Bhaja Moshla: Roasted Spice Blend

Bhaja Moshla. The Mighty Masala.

The magical spice blend that can amp up the flavor quotient in a jiffy! Most Bengali families will have a stash of Bhaja Moshla in their pantry and add fat pinches of it to 

There are so many versions of this magic masala, like the one that my friend PG of WhiffofSpice makes. She uses cumin, fennel seeds and dried red chilies - check it out here. Some even add Whole Garam Masala (Cinnamon, Clove & Green Cardamom) to theirs. Now I am a sucker for coriander. I love the burst of warm flavors it adds to any dish. So I add coriander seeds to my Bhaja Mosla along with 

I buy most of my spices from Wholefoods now which saves me a trip to the Indian grocery store which is a 20-minute drive away. Those to know me, knows how distance Do not get me wrong.. I love driving long distances but only when I am going to a trip! A trip to the grocery store most definitely does not fall into that category.

Whenever I got sick while growing up and refused to eat (which was pretty often) used to squeeze some lemon juice on boiled cubed potato pieces, hit it with a little salt and sprinkle Bhaja Moshla on it. I think it was the aroma of the roasted spices that made me feel all better!

The stars of my Bhaja Moshla are - cumin, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and dried red chilies.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp of coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp of fennel seeds
• 2 dried red chilies

How to make Bhaja Moshla. The process could not be simpler. 

Heat a heavy bottom pan, and once its hot enough throw in the spices. Roast on medium high heat while stirring continuously till the fragrance of  warm toasty spices surrounds you. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the spices to a bowl and let it cool down completely. 

Once the spices have cooled down, use a spice grinder (I used my coffee grinder) to grind it into a fine powder. Store the leftover in a air-tight container for future use. 

Sprinkle on whatever you want and enjoy the yumminess.