Xacuti Masala Powder is a special spice blend originating from Goa, India, known for its rich and aromatic flavors. It’s made by roasting and grinding a variety of spices such as red chilies, coriander seeds, cloves, black pepper, and more.
Follow my recipe to learn the detailed process to make xacuti masala powder at home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Precise measurement and perfect roasting help achieve the rich flavor and authentic taste of xacuti masala powder.
- This versatile spice blend is good to use in vegetarian, fish, and meat dishes like xacuti pulao, xacuti spiced roast, and xacuti masala grilled shrimp.
- Store the powder preferably in a glass container with an airtight seal. Keep it inside a kitchen cupboard to protect it from heat and sunlight. This will preserve its freshness.
- A somewhat similar taste is offered by Goan curry powder, vindaloo masala powder, and Malvani masala powder.
How to Make Xacuti Masala Powder? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take a heavy-bottom frying pan or wok and heat it on a low flame on your gas stove. Put 1 tbsp of cooking oil and when it is hot enough, put 150 gms of spicy dry red chilies with their stems in it. Stir them continuously for about 5 minutes to roast them slightly until they become crispy but do not burn them. Remove them when done.
(Pro tip: If you do not have a heavy bottom pan, put an additional iron pan below the wok or pan. Make sure that you manage both properly while roasting the spices).
Step 2: Now, in the same pan, put 150 gms of bedgi red chilies. Make small batches for even roasting and easy handling. Stir these mildly spicy chilies for about 5 minutes to roast them evenly. When done, transfer them to a plate and keep them aside.
(Pro tip: You can use more of those spicy red chilies and less of other red chilies if you want the masala powder to be hot. The combination is up to you).
Step 3: Now, put 150 gms of Kashmiri red chilies with their stem in the pan and roast them for 5 minutes in the same way. Transfer them and keep them aside when done.
(Pro tip: Adding Kashmiri red chilies will not enhance the hotness. It will simply enhance the color and taste).
Step 4: Next, put 250 gms of coriander seeds in the pan and roast them in the same way. Stir them for about 10 minutes until you notice a slight change in the color and can smell the aroma of roasted coriander. Transfer them immediately to prevent burning them.
Step 5: Then, put 110 gms of fennel seeds in the pan and roast in the same way preventing burning them in the process. Ideally, the spices will change color in about 2 to 3 minutes of roasting and you can smell the nice aroma.
Step 6: Now, when you are done roasting the fennel seeds and have kept them aside, put 45 gms of cloves in the pan. Roast them for about 3 minutes and keep them aside when done.
Step 7: Then, put 100 gms of black pepper and follow the same process to dry roast them and remove them when done.
Step 8: Now roast 45 gms of cinnamon sticks in the same pan stirring them for about 7 minutes this time. Keep aside when done.
Step 9: In the pan, this time put 10 gms of green cardamom which would be about 30 pieces. Stir them and roast them nicely and then keep them aside.
Step 10: Now put 10 gms of black stone flower in the pan and repeat the same process to roast them nicely for about 3 mins and keep them aside.
(Pro tip: When the black stone flowers are roasted nicely, transfer them immediately to a plate and keep them aside. This will prevent them from being over-roasted or getting burnt).
Step 11: Then roast 15 gms or about 15 pieces of black cardamom in the pan for about 8 minutes and keep them aside when done.
Step 12: Now, put 6 pieces or 40 gms of nutmeg in the pan and roast them for about 7 to 8 minutes until they are done. Transfer them to the plate and keep them aside.
Step 13: Then roast 25 gms of mace and transfer them immediately when done after about 9 minutes.
(Pro tip: Make sure you stir them continuously so that they do not get burnt. Burnt mace will affect the flavor of the masala adversely).
Step 14: Now, roast 20 gms of star anise in the pan for about 5 minutes and transfer them to the plate when done.
Step 15: Then, put 35 gms of fenugreek seeds to roast them in the same pan for about 6 minutes. When these are dry and nicely roasted remove them and keep them aside.
Step 16: Take 10 gms of bay leaves, and put them in the same pan. Dry roast them for about 8 minutes, and keep them aside.
Step 17: Now, put 20 gms of caraway seeds (shah jeera) in the pan and roast them for about 5 minutes. Keep it aside when done as well.
Step 18: Now, roast 55 gms of mustard seeds and keep them aside when done.
Step 19: Then, put 100 gms of whole dry turmeric sticks in the pan and roast them so that they lose all the moisture in them. Keep them aside when done.
Step 20: Now, roast 30 gms of cumin seeds in the pan for about 8 minutes. Remove them when done.
Step 21: Now, turn the flame of your gas stove off. Then put 160 gms of poppy seeds in the pan and stir them continuously for about 5 mins to roast them slightly and transfer them.
(Pro tip: Keep a close watch on the poppy seeds. Do not burn them. You may reduce the roasting time if needed).
Step 22: Check that all the spices are sufficiently cool. Make small batches of all of them on a plate.
Step 23: At this point, remove the stems of the roasted red chilies. Also, break some of the larger bedgi chilies into small pieces. You may also do the same for the other chilies.
Step 24: You may break the turmeric sticks and nutmeg for smoother and easier grinding. Also, break and remove the seeds from the star anise.
Step 25: Now take a grinder.
Step 26: Transfer the spices one batch at a time to the grinder from the plate.
Step 27: Grind the spices to a fine powder, collect them in a container, and your spicy xacuti masala powder is ready to be used.
(Pro tip: There is no specific order of roasting the spices but make sure that you roast each of them individually. This will enhance the flavor. You may take the roasted spices to a mill for grinding but it is best to grind them at home).
Recipe Card
Xacuti Masala Powder
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- 150 grams Spicy red chilies (with stems)
- 150 grams Bedgi red chilies (with stems)
- 150 grams Kashmiri red chilies (with stems)
- 250 grams Coriander seeds
- 110 grams Fennel seeds
- 45 grams Cloves
- 100 grams Black pepper
- 45 grams Cinnamon sticks
- 10 grams Green cardamom
- 10 grams Black stone flower
- 15 grams Black cardamom
- 40 grams Nutmeg
- 25 grams Mace
- 20 grams Star anise
- 35 grams Fenugreek seeds
- 10 grams Bay leaves
- 20 grams Caraway seeds (shah jeera)
- 55 grams Mustard seeds
- 100 grams Dry whole turmeric sticks
- 30 grams Cumin seeds
- 160 grams Poppy seeds
Instructions
- Take a heavy-bottom frying pan or wok and heat it on a low flame on your gas stove. Put 1 tbsp of cooking oil and when it is hot enough, put 150 gms of spicy dry red chilies with their stems in it. Stir them continuously for about 5 minutes to roast them slightly until they become crispy but do not burn them. Remove them when done.(Pro tip: If you do not have a heavy bottom pan, put an additional iron pan below the wok or pan. Make sure that you manage both properly while roasting the spices).
- Now, in the same pan, put 150 gms of bedgi red chilies. Make small batches for even roasting and easy handling. Stir these mildly spicy chilies for about 5 minutes to roast them evenly. When done, transfer them to a plate and keep them aside.(Pro tip: You can use more of those spicy red chilies and less of other red chilies if you want the masala powder to be hot. The combination is up to you).
- Now, put 150 gms of Kashmiri red chilies with their stem in the pan and roast them for 5 minutes in the same way. Transfer them and keep them aside when done.(Pro tip: Adding Kashmiri red chilies will not enhance the hotness. It will simply enhance the color and taste).
- Next, put 250 gms of coriander seeds in the pan and roast them in the same way. Stir them for about 10 minutes until you notice a slight change in the color and can smell the aroma of roasted coriander. Transfer them immediately to prevent burning them.
- Then, put 110 gms of fennel seeds in the pan and roast in the same way preventing burning them in the process. Ideally, the spices will change color in about 2 to 3 minutes of roasting and you can smell the nice aroma.
- Now, when you are done roasting the fennel seeds and have kept them aside, put 45 gms of cloves in the pan. Roast them for about 3 minutes and keep them aside when done.
- Then, put 100 gms of black pepper and follow the same process to dry roast them and remove them when done.
- Now roast 45 gms of cinnamon sticks in the same pan stirring them for about 7 minutes this time. Keep aside when done.
- In the pan, this time put 10 gms of green cardamom which would be about 30 pieces. Stir them and roast them nicely and then keep them aside.
- Now put 10 gms of black stone flower in the pan and repeat the same process to roast them nicely for about 3 mins and keep them aside.(Pro tip: When the black stone flowers are roasted nicely, transfer them immediately to a plate and keep them aside. This will prevent them from being over-roasted or getting burnt).
- Then roast 15 gms or about 15 pieces of black cardamom in the pan for about 8 minutes and keep them aside when done.
- Now, put 6 pieces or 40 gms of nutmeg in the pan and roast them for about 7 to 8 minutes until they are done. Transfer them to the plate and keep them aside.
- Then roast 25 gms of mace and transfer them immediately when done after about 9 minutes.(Pro tip: Make sure you stir them continuously so that they do not get burnt. Burnt mace will affect the flavor of the masala adversely).
- Now, roast 20 gms of star anise in the pan for about 5 minutes and transfer them to the plate when done.
- Then, put 35 gms of fenugreek seeds to roast them in the same pan for about 6 minutes. When these are dry and nicely roasted remove them and keep them aside.
- Take 10 gms of bay leaves, and put them in the same pan. Dry roast them for about 8 minutes, and keep them aside.
- Now, put 20 gms of caraway seeds (shah jeera) in the pan and roast them for about 5 minutes. Keep it aside when done as well.
- Now, roast 55 gms of mustard seeds and keep them aside when done.
- Then, put 100 gms of whole dry turmeric sticks in the pan and roast them so that they lose all the moisture in them. Keep them aside when done.
- Now, roast 30 gms of cumin seeds in the pan for about 8 minutes. Remove them when done.
- Now, turn the flame of your gas stove off. Then put 160 gms of poppy seeds in the pan and stir them continuously for about 5 mins to roast them slightly and transfer them.(Pro tip: Keep a close watch on the poppy seeds. Do not burn them. You may reduce the roasting time if needed).
- Check that all the spices are sufficiently cool. Make small batches of all of them on a plate.
- At this point, remove the stems of the roasted red chilies. Also, break some of the larger bedgi chilies into small pieces. You may also do the same for the other chilies.
- You may break the turmeric sticks and nutmeg for smoother and easier grinding. Also, break and remove the seeds from the star anise.
- Now take a grinder.
- Transfer the spices one batch at a time to the grinder from the plate.
- Grind the spices to a fine powder, collect them in a container, and your spicy xacuti masala powder is ready to be used.
Notes
- The measurements of spices in my recipe are for making a large quantity of xacuti masala powder. If you are making a small amount, adjust the proportions accordingly.
- Always use fresh ingredients to make this masala powder. Check the expiry dates before making your purchase. Ensure that the chilies are vibrant red. This will render the right color and flavor to the powder.
- Roast all the ingredients very carefully, preferably individually. Be patient and roast them on a low flame without over-roasting or burning them. Stir the spices continuously, especially the delicate ones such as mace and stone flower.
- Remove the spices from the hot frying pan when you notice a subtle change in color or smell the natural aroma of the ingredients, indicating that they are roasted perfectly. Transfer them to a plate and spread them to stop the cooking process and cool faster.
- Grind the spices carefully to achieve a smooth texture. I recommend grinding them in batches if you are making a large quantity.
