Are you Okay with your house smelling of masala?

[ElRaja]

Ok maybe this post might rile people up a bit the wrong way, but as part of my job i visit a lot of properties, and invariably (80%+), south asian households in the uk, have a strong smell of masala, it varies from country to country of origin, but i rarely if ever have walked into a fresh smelling desi house. are you okay with ur house smelling of masala? i for one cant stand it, and methi in particular drives me nuts, have had a few arguments with my sister who is a serial offender when it comes to the house smelling of masalas.

I wont go into the rest of the patterns ive observed, because they could pbly get me in trouble.

 

[LordJames]

Ok maybe this post might rile people up a bit the wrong way, but as part of my job i visit a lot of properties, and invariably (80%+), south asian households in the uk, have a strong smell of masala, it varies from country to country of origin, but i rarely if ever have walked into a fresh smelling desi house. are you okay with ur house smelling of masala? i for one cant stand it, and methi in particular drives me nuts, have had a few arguments with my sister who is a serial offender when it comes to the house smelling of masalas.

I wont go into the rest of the patterns ive observed, because they could pbly get me in trouble.

No.

 

[Suleiman]

Would rather have that then the prospect of filth and dirt from pet dog inside / around the house or property and it trying to lick your hand etc when it comes to careers with at home / property consultation etc that was by far the most cortisol spiking aspect of it lol, especially if it’s aggressive… masala scent in the house was hardly a bother. The western obsession with dogs, and then the refusal to clean up after them or have a leash or stow them away when they have a visitor never made sense to me during that part of my career

But tbh I also grew up around bakhoor burning, attar etc which overrides and clears up virtually any food scent.

 

[ElRaja]

Would rather have that then the prospect of filth and dirt from pet dog inside / around the house or property and it trying to lick your hand etc when it comes to careers with at home / property consultation etc that was by far the most cortisol spiking aspect of it lol, especially if it’s aggressive… masala scent in the house was hardly a bother. The western obsession with dogs, and then the refusal to clean up after them or have a leash or stow them away when they have a visitor never made sense to me during that part of my career

But tbh I also grew up around bakhoor burning, attar etc which overrides and clears up virtually any food scent.

i dont mind bakhoor and attar scents in light doses, however i find masking smells with other smells makes the result even funkier. the best smelling houses ive ever been in our those which have a light fresh natural scent, like sandal wood, or the smell of grass from the garden coming in doors. in the office i used to use reed diffusers, which gave the right strength of scent for my liking.

 

[sweep_shot]

As long as the smell is not extreme, I don't mind.

Desi houses are likely to have these smells.

 

[G0rmintAunty]

In Dubai on the Arab side we had villas with an outside-ish separate kitchen so it didn't affect the rest of the house plus bukhoor was used twice a day in the house. However whenever I used to visit any desi friends in the apartment buildings, the smell.used to hit you right in the corridor, after a while.I could even differentiate between the smells by walking by the doors of different flats and guess to a fairly accurate degree whether it was a Pak, North Indian or South Indian household.
The thing was the clothes of most of the people living in those apartments also smelled like the interior of their house which was a constant reminder of the hallway and their home.which after a while.became.unbearable.
Lost a lot of what could have been potentially good friendships that way.

 

[LordJames]

i dont mind bakhoor and attar scents in light doses, however i find masking smells with other smells makes the result even funkier. the best smelling houses ive ever been in our those which have a light fresh natural scent, like sandal wood, or the smell of grass from the garden coming in doors. in the office i used to use reed diffusers, which gave the right strength of scent for my liking.

1. Start Ozone Generator in the House and leave for a few hours
2. Come back and open all Windows for an hour
3. All smell goes an the house smells fresh

Would rather have that then the prospect of filth and dirt from pet dog inside / around the house or property and it trying to lick your hand etc when it comes to careers with at home / property consultation etc that was by far the most cortisol spiking aspect of it lol, especially if it’s aggressive… masala scent in the house was hardly a bother. The western obsession with dogs, and then the refusal to clean up after them or have a leash or stow them away when they have a visitor never made sense to me during that part of my career

But tbh I also grew up around bakhoor burning, attar etc which overrides and clears up virtually any food scent.

In Dubai on the Arab side we had villas with an outside-ish separate kitchen so it didn't affect the rest of the house plus bukhoor was used twice a day in the house. However whenever I used to visit any desi friends in the apartment buildings, the smell.used to hit you right in the corridor, after a while.I could even differentiate between the smells by walking by the doors of different flats and guess to a fairly accurate degree whether it was a Pak, North Indian or South Indian household.
The thing was the clothes of most of the people living in those apartments also smelled like the interior of their house which was a constant reminder of the hallway and their home.which after a while.became.unbearable.
Lost a lot of what could have been potentially good friendships that way.

Bakhoor just masks smell but doesn't extract or cleanse it, the cheap way to do it as follows:

1. Put some Cloves and Cinnamon in 50/50 Water/Vinegar Solution
2. Boil for 5 minutes
3. Let is simmer for a few hours and your house is masked with Good smell

If keeping Doors/Windows doesn't help...

 

[Champ_Pal]

Indian way of cooking always makes the homes smell.
If one wants flavor on their tongue, thy should be prepared to smell it too.

 

[Suleiman]

1. Start Ozone Generator in the House and leave for a few hours
2. Come back and open all Windows for an hour
3. All smell goes an the house smells fresh

Bakhoor just masks smell but doesn't extract or cleanse it, the cheap way to do it as follows:

1. Put some Cloves and Cinnamon in 50/50 Water/Vinegar Solution
2. Boil for 5 minutes
3. Let is simmer for a few hours and your house is masked with Good smell

If keeping Doors/Windows doesn't help...

Bakhoor played a part, it does more than just mask because it’s literally burning of wood chips which by the time have burned completely, the masala smell is gone by then too, but also, if it’s a house and not an apartment the aroma leaves on its own an hour or two after the dishes are cooked.

Yeah during peak cooking hours which is typically midday there will be a mirch masala scent which is prob when @ElRaja went to these properties, but by evening it’s gone.

Small price to pay for arguably the most versatile cuisine taste and spice in the world, no?

Is khushbu ke liye angraiz aaye theh

 

[Bhaijaan]

There is a fine line between aroma and smell. Minimal use of spices gives a delightful aroma to the house. I personally love the aroma of freshly cooked basmati & rajmah.

Having lived in hostels and alone during initial years of work and not cooking much, coming back home and getting these fragrances from mother cooked food in the kitchen would always bring calmness.

Lucy are the people who come to houses tired as hell but their family is ready to greet them love and delicious food.

Our food is our biggest flex. It’s not only GOAT level good, there is no comparison. Don’t pull it down by promoting western racist stereotypes against us.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Who does not like the good smell of masala and food cooking in your house... Yeah, it must not be something like burnt or something..

 

[Rajdeep]

I absolutely hate it and totally get it from where OP is coming. Its the smell of garlic which stays for long. Here in UK, because houses have less ventilation unlike in India or Pakistan, the smell stays longer. It also infuses into clothes and overcoat which gives curry smell. I have noticed it in majority of desi people. In my previous company, I used to take office shuttle. My route has majority Asian people and the entire bus used to smell like kitchen. Same thing happens if you take any bus in East London...full Shaan Biryani Masala smell

For people who are saying who doesnt like eating masala, eating a food you love is totally different from lingering smell. So when I cook, I ensure chimney is open at high speed throughout. I lock all my clothes in other room and keep them far away from kitchen. I also use agarbattis/bakhoor sometimes for the smell to go away.

 

[RexRex]

i for one cant stand it, and methi in particular drives me nuts, have had a few arguments with my sister who is a serial offender when it comes to the house smelling of masalas.

Does that mean you don't cook south asian food in your house ? I assume you do .. so how do you deal with the smells from it that would make your home different from the properties you visit ?

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

No. I have a huge separate kitchen diner which helps though, and the property itself is large so the smell tends to disperse pretty efficiently. A good extraction hood above the oven also helps, but I'm not a huge fan of desi spices anyway. Garam masala in particular seems pointless to me, maybe one day I will persuade the wife but it will probably start world war III.

 

[ElRaja]

Does that mean you don't cook south asian food in your house ? I assume you do .. so how do you deal with the smells from it that would make your home different from the properties you visit ?

my mum always cooked very low masala, low oil kinda food, she was always super health concious, so u have the food smell for a very short while and then the extractor does its job and gone. even when i used to cook, i liked uncooked spices, i used to make relatively bland food, by desi standards, just well seasoned and then add fresh chillies right at the end.

 

[RexRex]

my mum always cooked very low masala, low oil kinda food, she was always super health concious, so u have the food smell for a very short while and then the extractor does its job and gone. even when i used to cook, i liked uncooked spices, i used to make relatively bland food, by desi standards, just well seasoned and then add fresh chillies right at the end.

That's fair, everyone should be made to buy that extraction chimney thing or whatever they call it. It resolves about 80% of the odour issue.

 

[Rajdeep]

No. I have a huge separate kitchen diner which helps though, and the property itself is large so the smell tends to disperse pretty efficiently. A good extraction hood above the oven also helps, but I'm not a huge fan of desi spices anyway. Garam masala in particular seems pointless to me, maybe one day I will persuade the wife but it will probably start world war III.

Wooo....you are a rich man bro.

 

[Kianig89]

This is the problem mostly in apartments or small houses with open kitchens and specially if they are using frozen garlic and ginger paste

 

[KingKhanWC]

Desi cooking needs a big kitchen but the smell depends on the types of spices .

I used to hate it but one day I went to my neighbour who was cooking pork , utter disgusting smell .

 

[Major]

OP is my brother.

I also hate and go crazy from the smell of methi. I make sure its not stored in the fridge

 

[Tera Gawaandi]

Cook with a lid on, only remove the lid when you need to stir. Open windows, turn on exhaust fans at full blast, and let them stay on 5-10 mins after even you are done cooking. Clean up around burner and counter well after cooking, vacuum the floors, seal your spices and throw unused raw peeled onions etc in zip lock bag always. Do not run hot dishes or run dishes under hot water, let them cool down then let grime soften in cold water, only then use hot water. Never ever chop onions/garlic next to a fabric chair.

Food processors also help in containing the smell inside the jar.

 

[topspin]

OP is my brother.

I also hate and go crazy from the smell of methi. I make sure its not stored in the fridge

Misbah’s salan hits hard.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Its childhood memories bro. Your childhoods were formed going in and out of houses smelling of curry. I don't like it as much now, especially when going out, but whenever I enter one of these environments I get happy memories of childhood.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I am hoping this is not the start of @ElRaja slowly turning into ElRichard.

 

[Suleiman]

The smell getting on clothes etc is understandable though. I guess that must be part of the reason why I’m so much into cologne and attar is because of this detail
… this thread helped me discover my and many others origin story. Thanks for that.

 

[Rajdeep]

Its childhood memories bro. Your childhoods were formed going in and out of houses smelling of curry. I don't like it as much now, especially when going out, but whenever I enter one of these environments I get happy memories of childhood.

You dont eat curry anymore?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

You dont eat curry anymore?

Eat it. But don't cook it at home so much. Mainly parents or elders home when visiting.

When cooking at home it's something less heavy on the masalas and spices so the smell dissipates quickly.

 

[finalfantasy7]

I like the smell of masala, even when western people come into my house and they smell it - they love it = massive smile on thr faces