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Durban Leaf Masala

Durban Leaf Masala is a traditioinal South African recipe for a classic red masala or spice blend that includes bay leaves, fenugreek leaves and curry leaves. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South African version of: Durban Leaf Masala.

prep time

10 minutes

cook time

10 minutes

Total Time:

20 minutes

Makes:

1 small jar

Rating:

Tags : CurryChilli RecipesVegan RecipesSpice RecipesHerb RecipesSouth-africa Recipes

Leaf masala is a spice blend that’s the base for a variety of South African curries, particularly those from the Durban area. This is a very versatile spice blend that’s used for meat, fish and vegetarian curry. It’s also used to sprinkle over fruit. This version is based on one of my favourite commercial blends, Gorima’s. It’s also a classic ingredient on one of the more popular versions of Bunny Chow. The bright red colour is distinctive of almost all Durban masalas, so don’t skimp on the Kashmiri chilli powder.

Ingredients:

3 fresh bay leaves, stems removed
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
5 tbsp fresh curry leaves (20g)
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1½ tbsp cumin seeds
10g cardamom pods, lightly bashed open in a mortar to get 1½ tsp seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
5 tbsp (50g) Kashmiri chilli powder (or any other mild chilli powder)
1 tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp smoked paprika

Method:

Combine the bay leaves and fenugreek in the bowl of a small food processor (or coffee/spice grinder) and pulse until finely chopped (think confetti size). Add the curry leaves, pulse again about three times until coarsely broken then turn out into a medium-sized bowl.

Place all the remaining spices in the spice blender and blitz until very finely ground. Combine with the leaf mixture and stir with a fork to combine. Spoon into an air-tight jar.

The blend will keep for up to three months.