Moggu is a spice used in some of Karnataka's cherished dishes such as bisibele bhath, saagu, (Karnataka style) kootus to name a few. It is brownish in color and looks somewhat like a bigger version of a clove. I had failed to notice that it smells somewhat like shikakayi powder until today. The smell / fragrance attached to it is not that strong that one would notice it as soon as a container of moggu is opened and I guess that's the reason I missed it. (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. Since the Kannadigas attach the tag Maratha, I am assuming it is used in Maharasthrian cuisine as well. I always get my supply of moggu from India since I could not find this in any Indian grocery shops here.
I had these questions regarding this spice and if anyone knows the answer, let me know.
Which plant's flower bud is this? Do you know the name of this spice in English or any other Indian languages? Is it used to make any other dishes or for any different purpose?
Comments
Sunday, November 22, 2009
My Kitchen - Maratha/Marathi Moggu
Moggu is a spice used in some of Karnataka's cherished dishes such as bisibele bhath, saagu, (Karnataka style) kootus to name a few. It is brownish in color and looks somewhat like a bigger version of a clove. I had failed to notice that it smells somewhat like shikakayi powder until today. The smell / fragrance attached to it is not that strong that one would notice it as soon as a container of moggu is opened and I guess that's the reason I missed it. (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. Since the Kannadigas attach the tag Maratha, I am assuming it is used in Maharasthrian cuisine as well. I always get my supply of moggu from India since I could not find this in any Indian grocery shops here.
I had these questions regarding this spice and if anyone knows the answer, let me know.
Which plant's flower bud is this? Do you know the name of this spice in English or any other Indian languages? Is it used to make any other dishes or for any different purpose?
Comments
Looks like a new spice for me.. Shall watch this space for more updates.
ReplyDeleteThey don't LOOK like they taste good, but I'll take your word for it.
ReplyDeletehmm... never saw this spice before!! looks like cloves. Not sure what these are. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this spice. N its got quite a powerful taste
ReplyDeleteMarathi Moggu are used for Maharashtrian kala masala in addition to bisi bele baath. There's a recipe for the masala on the old mahanandi.com website.
ReplyDeleteI just received a package from India, and the moggu definitely has a smoky scent that's completely its own. But the package came with two varieties; one extremely large and black, the other petite and grey.
Do you have any suggestions on how to prepare it for use? Do the stems come off the buds before you roast them?
Thanks for posting one this.
Chickpea,
ReplyDeleteI usually roast them lightly before using. We use the whole thing - the bud and the stem and they don't seperate during roasting. It remains intact as shown in the pic.
Hey, found this info..
ReplyDeletehttp://shockingschadenfreude.blogspot.com/2009/01/marati-moggu.html
hope this helps..
I think it is also called kebab chinni in the hyderabad region for the kebabs etc
ReplyDeleteNo, its definitely not kebab chini..
ReplyDeleteI 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
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.
My friend gave me the recipe which had Marati Moggu as an important ingredient. Being in the US, I found it really difficult to find these spices. But thanks to The Big Indian Store, now i don’t need to wander around looking for these spices.
You can get them home delivered worldwide from them at http://spicesonline.info/indian-spices/marati-moggu-karer-badi-laung-shalmali-semul-p-857.html
Its flavour is really lovely. My bisebille bhat turned awesome with this spice. May be you would like to try it. They provide their spices worldwide. I am realy in love with their Marati Moggu.
"Caper fruit". The small, unripe flower-buds- pickled in brine- are used in Italian cuisine. These, however, are the ripe fruit of the plant- dried.
ReplyDeleteThis is the dried fruit of the caper tree (Latin: capparis spinosa; Indian: marati moggu, marathi moggu, etc.)This spice is widely used in preparing curry powders, bisebelebath powder and in Chettinad cuisine. It is also called Kapok Buds or Bambox. The Hindi name for this spice is Shalmali or Semul.
ReplyDeletewhat is marathi maggu called in North India. i tried explaining to the masala vendors, but they were not in a position to understand.
ReplyDeleteHi !
ReplyDeletewhere do you buy these in Bangalore?
-Jo
i got the name as "KAPOK BUD" in english. from this link: http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/enspicelopedia/
ReplyDeleteHi, i am from Tamilnadu. We use this spice while preparing Briyani... It gives u extraordinary smell and flavour.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a confusion about the word 'caper'. There are many different type of capers - the most prominent are the Capers and capper berries (or Caperbells) Wiki information . These are small buds of the caper bush or the latter are the mature seeds of the caper bush.
ReplyDeleteMarathi Moggu is the dried bud of the Kapok Tree, specifically Bombax ceiba
kabab chini, or Kankol, or cubeb (pepper) is an entirely different spice / medicine (?) used, among other things, to make a tisane ( medicinal soup) for persistent cough.
Cheers.
If it is "silk cotton tree "
ReplyDeletethen it is Kate savar in Marathi , Shalmali in Sanskrit , and Bombax malabaricum
Kapok buds
ReplyDeletefrom Semal Tree (Cotton Tree), type of cotton from its fruit and have a dark red beautiful flowers, it has a thorny stem and branches. it is a very big tree of upto 60-70 feet.
ReplyDelete