Nutmeg- I use a tiny piece of it, it is quite strong in flavour. However, you can skip it, does not make much difference. Also, mace comes from the same plant as nutmeg and hence you can use only mace or small quantities of both mace and nutmeg.

from a programme on agriculture telecast in the ‘podhigai’ TV I came to know that maratti moggu is the immature pod of silk cotton tree that drops down. The flavors make all the difference, which essentially comes from the Bisi Bele Bath Powder and the tempering towards the end. This special masala mix gives a lot of depth and flavor to the dish on the whole. Having stayed in Karnataka in the childhood, I just can’t forget the awesome taste of Bise billi bhat and Vanga Bhat that I used to eat at my Kanadda friend’s home.

The first time I tried the traditional Bisi Bele Bath was at an MTR eatery in Bengaluru (earlier Bangalore), Karnataka. This was also because my husband had recommended it as this unique dish is one of his favorite. And to be honest, even I fell in love with this specialty, in the very first bite. This underrated spice is usually ignored to include within the spice blends. one of the widely used spices in Karnataka cuisine and Chettinad cuisine. it’s utilized in most of the traditional karnataka dishes like Bisi Bele bath powder , Masala Puri Chaat. I even make other South Indian blends like Sambar Powder and Rasam Powder at home. I also prefer making my own individual spice powders like cumin powder and Coriander Powder. Along with the Bisi Bele Bath Powder, I normally make other spice mixtures too at home. For instance, the Maharashtrian Goda Masala and the pan-Indian Garam Masala Powder. As said earlier, these are much better than the ones brought from the market. Though, it takes effort to make authentic masala powders at home but it is worth all the time and effort. Expert Tips

Nagakesar is the buds of the tree Mesua ferrea. See Wikipedia. Its flowers are used in perfumes and essence. and it is Sri Lanka’s national tree. The seeds look something like cloves, but they have a unique flavor. Saumph (Patli Saumph or Choti Saunf in Hindi) – Aniseed/Anise – (Aniseed and Fennel Seeds are often Confused. Aniseed is used as Mouth Freshener and is expensive. Fennel seeds are often used in Kerala Cuisine.) Also, you can cook the dal first. Then, add the rice, vegetables in it and cook them together in the pressure cooker. Sometimes, I do it this way too, to cut down on the time and steps. In this post, I have shown the traditional way of cooking everything separately.For those shampoo lovers and who don’t know what it is, shikakayi powder is used in India to wash hair). It is not eaten raw but always dry fried and ground with other spices before going into a dish. It is called moggu in Kannada and mogga in Telugu which literally means a bud. I got Marati Moggu home delivered from The Big Indian Store at http://spicesonline.info/indian-spices/marati-moggu-karer-badi-laung-shalmali-semul-p-857.html I bought most of the spices from Spice Village Berlinwith free home delivery as well. This online shopping of Indian groceries has indeed made our lives easier.

Add a drop or two of oil to a pan. Once it heats, add cinnamon, clove, kapok bud (marathi moggu), mace and nutmeg (if using). Once your powder is ground, store it in an air-tight jar or container and store in a cool dry place. You could also store in the fridge.

Do you have any suggestions on how to prepare it for use? Do the stems come off the buds before you roast them?

Egg rice is a very popular street style food that’s loaded with Indian masalas and finished with a little soy sauce for flavour. The green chillies are ground to a paste and are the main source of spiciness in this street style egg rice. This dish not taste anything like the Chinese fried rice. It has an Indian masala paste that’s made from scratch and added to the rice. This egg rice is a perfect dish for parties etc… This can be easily doubled. This simple egg rice recipe is perfect for lunch box. There are veggies in the form of cabbage, eggs for proteins and rice for the carb load. No need for any side dish. Hi, i am from Tamilnadu. We use this spice while preparing Briyani... It gives u extraordinary smell and flavour.Marathi Moggu comes from the while silk cotton tree, Ceiba pentandra (not its cousin Bombax ceiba). The originally recognized and most agreed upon ayurvedic source for Nagakesar (or Nag Kesar) is indeed from Sri Lanka’s national tree, Mesua ferrea. But the fruit (or seed) does not look like the picture above. The picture above looks more like cinnamon buds. To the contrary, Mesua ferrea Nag Kesar gives a woody flavor, and not cinnamon. By the way, Mesua ferrea should not be consumed by pregnant women, since this herb has abortifacient properties. In the woods, alone Marathi Moggu is a plant that is easily recognized since of its torso sizable (approximately 3 gauges in dimension) as well as have spikes. The flowers often bloom just before the leaves emerge. Less scrumptious aroma in the course of blooming, the blooms of this plant possesses a stimulating odor. This aroma was capable to bring in fruit baseball bats are believed to help pollination and also spread out seeds. Seed kapok brown and round like peas. In the nooks and fissures of the Marathi Moggu boots, has a quite welcoming allure. Furthermore, there are several advantages kapok we rarely understand and also listen to, what are actually the perks of the kapok? The following is a description: Benefits of Marathi Moggu