Bottle Masala – Unique name, unique flavour
Why is it called ‘Bottle Masala'?
The explanation behind its name is as simple as it looks – it is a masala that has been bottled. Going deeper, we understand that around 25 or, at times, even 60 ingredients are sun-dried, roasted, pounded, and stored in recycled beer bottles. The tinted bottles would offer protection from the harsh sun. This masala is a firmly kept secret of the East Indian Community.
Origin: East Indians and Bottle Masala
When I hear East India, my first thought goes to the East India Company and how it sunk its teeth into most of the Indian subcontinent. Most of the residents of these regions were converted to Christianity by the Portuguese, but they never let go of their Konkani roots and culture. This community absorbed the foreign elements and made its legacy which was passed down from one generation to the other. They created their own identity and called themselves the East Indians.
This community has a rich culinary culture and is known to be close-knit. Their food is a union of the Portuguese culture and the Maharashtrian culture. They have specific distinctive food preparations such as fugia (breads), lonvas and khuddis (traditional curries), vindaloos, arros (rice dish), aps (type of bhakri) or mobile. The most intriguing recipe to have been born is that of the Bottle Masala.
East Indian Bottle Masala Ingredients:
The bottle masala is an aromatic mix of at least 25 ingredients, while some recipes use a whopping 60 ingredients. But no two families would ever have the same recipe. The masala is made during the hottest summer days and then stored in air-tight bottles for consumption throughout the year. The ingredients used to be sun-dried or roasted and pounded in a large wooden mortar. This process used to be time-consuming, so in recent days, the ingredients are ground with the help of machines.
How to use the Bottle Masala?
The Bottle Masala works beautifully with any preparation because it does not overpower but allows all the ingredients to work harmoniously to bring out the real essence. This masala is not spicy but instead offers a mouthful of beautiful flavours. Bottle Masala is a deep, orange blend of palatable spices used to cook meat, fish, or vegetables. This aromatic spice mix defines your dish, making it colourful and flavoursome.
Here is my favourite recipe using Bottle Masala
East Indian Pork Sarpatel
Prep time: 75 mins
Cooking time: 60 mins (25 mins in cooker)
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 kg Pork, boneless
200 gms Pork liver, cut into pieces (optional)
15 Garlic cloves, cut into juliennes
4 inch Ginger piece, cut into juliennes
1 cup Vinegar
3 tbsp Aazol's Bottle Masala
8 Green chillies, cut lengthwise
100 ml Palm vinegar
Oil for cooking
Salt to taste
- Boil the liver in water. Drain, dry and fry to light brown in a pan with some oil.
- Do the same with pork pieces on medium flame.
- In another pan, heat some oil. Add ginger, garlic, and chilli and sauté.
- Next, add the Bottle of Masala and salt. Stir.
- Now, add the fried pork meat and liver. Coat the meat well with the masala when stirring. Add a cup of water, bring to a boil, Then reduce the flame, cover and cook on slow flame till the meat is soft.
- Add the vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from fire and serve with Kolam rice or crusty bread.
Where to buy East Indian Bottle Masala online?
These days life is so fast-paced that it is difficult to make the masala by hand, so we prefer to buy from the market, but finding people who sell authentic Bottle Masala is a task in this city. So, either you can make your own by following a recipe or buy one from Aazol. They source their Bottle Masala from Shaila Calico, famous in the East Indian community for her sun-dried and hand-pounded masala mixes. The taste is authentic and flavorful, with a fragrant blend of 28 spices that are all sourced locally. The masala is made in small batches to preserve freshness and maintain quality. It is available online at www.aazol.in and a few other famous homemade masalas.
