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.

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.