Marathi moggu (kapok buds)

The dried flower bud of the silk-cotton tree, and the back note of a Karnataka puliyogare or bisi bele bath powder — musky and faintly astringent rather than sweet.

Choosing it

Whole, pale grey-brown, stalk still attached. Blackened or crumbling buds have been sitting in an open bin and taste of dust.

Storing it

Airtight and away from light. Roast just before grinding — what it has is volatile and goes flat within weeks of being powdered.

By eye

Counted, never measured — three or four buds for a whole jar of masala, sparse against the chillies.

If you cannot get it

Hard to find outside south India, and often mislabelled in shops. Omit rather than replace — cloves and cinnamon are both sweeter and pull the masala somewhere else entirely.