Maasi Masala | Spicy Pounded Dry Fish Masala

Am a fan of super hot masalas and if its NV I'll be in the queue. You can always find me making some spicy hot masalas in my kitchen to accompany my dishes. One such staple spicy food found very often in my menu is this maasi masala. I stock up packets of maasi/dry pounded fish masala in my pantry as they are very rarely available in markets and they are so handy that you can make dishes with them directly without prior processing like washing or chopping or cooking. Moreover it has good shelf life so keeps well for days. You can spice up your egg burji with maasi or make spicy masala like the following recipe or chutney in just few minutes. Whenever I don't have much time and hubby craves for a fulfilling menu I'd always prefer making this maasi masala to accompany dosas or chapatis. It needs very little time that my hubby wonders how infact did I make such a drool-worthy recipe that fast, moreover the making is fuss free. And the end result is a tasty quick side-dish with not much work and a satisfied husband. After all the end result matters a house-wife a lot right?. This spicy hot masala makes a great side-dish with dosa, chapatis, pooris and rice. Soft chapati with dollops of thick salted curd, sliced onions and this spicy dry fish masala makes our favorite dinner platter, try it and you'll know why. Dal, rice and this maasi masala is another hit trio. You can get pounded dry fish in certain super markets in India, these are coarsely powdered dry fish available in small packets that can be directly used in recipes without prior processing. The only thing to be taken care of is, maasi is salted already and so you will have to take care not to add excess of salt in your recipes. If you do not find maasi you can try following tip 2 that I have mentioned at the bottom. I will update the post soon with the pictures of this Maasi /pounded dry fish so that it would be easy to identify. Now lets check out the recipe. 

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INGREDIENTS 

Makes sides for 2 people
Total Preparation Time - 5 to 7 minutes
Get the printable recipe card here

1. Maasi / Coarsely pounded dry fish - 50 grams (available in 100 gram packets)
2. Big onion - 1 (Chopped finely)
3. Tomato - 1 (chopped finely) 
4. Red chilli powder - 1½ spoonfuls
5. Turmeric powder - A pinch
6. Lemon juice - 2 spoons 
7. Salt - As per taste 
8. Oil - 5 spoons (adding oil generously makes the masala look and taste much better)

PREPARATION METHOD

• Place a pan on flame and pour oil. After it heats up, add curry leaves and let it splutter. 
• Then add the chopped onions and saute well until it turns translucent and cooked. 
• Then add tomato, little salt and saute on low flame until the tomato turns pulpy and cooked. 
• Now add the red chilli powder and saute really well until the raw smell leaves and the oil separates from the masala. 
• Now add the maasi (pounded dry fish) directly from the packet (no prior cooking or washing is needed) and stir well. 
• Pour 1/4 cup of water stir well, check for salt and add if needed. Cook on low flame and until the masala gets mixed up well with the pounded dry fish (takes about 3 minutes).  
• Finally when the water content reduces or when you get the masala consistency remove from flame and drizzle lemon juice over it. 
• Mix well and serve.

TIP 1: Pounded dry fish/Maasi contains salt content, so do not add too much of salt initially. Check for salt after adding maasi and then add if necessary. 

TIP 2: Pounded fish is available in all stores if not available you can just get rock hard dry fish pieces and pound it well using a stone pestle until it breaks into smaller pieces, then add it to a blender and coarsely grind it and use in recipes. 

Get the printable recipe card here

Super hot and tasty masala is now ready!! Serve with aapam, dosa, chapatis, rotis or as sides with rice!!

Chapati with a dollop of curd and this masala makes a great satisfying platter!!