Chaat Masala

Just like garam masala, chaat masala is just a simple blend of spices (“masala” = spice blend, but “chaat” masala is intended specifically for use in “chaat” dishes). These snack bowls are sold at roadside stalls in India, and usually consist of deep-fried bread, dried yellow salty noodle-like things, tangy yogurt, sour/sweet tamarind chutney and coriander chutney – all much more delicious than it sounds. Sometimes there’s potato involved, or chickpeas, but there’s always chaat masala. Again, like garam masala, there are a few ingredients that always appear, like mango powder(!), but the recipe varies from person to person in amount and other ingredients. So if you don’t have one of the ingredients (as long as it’s not the mango powder, cumin or salt) you can probably leave it out. Also, like the garam masala, if you don’t have a whole version of a spice, use the ground version, but don’t roast it in the frying pan or it’ll burn. Only whole spices go in the frying pan.

The version I made:
Whole Spices
3 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp whole fennel seed
a little, little bit of asafetida, grated (this you can still roast even though it’s grated. Bigger grater pieces are optimal)
Ground Spices
4 tsp amchoor powder (dried mango powder. I’m thinking about adding it to my mango sorbet next time, to make it a little more intense…
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp salt (the originally recipe called for black salt, which is apparently actually pink. I use Himalayan Crystal salt, which is also pink, but who knows if it’s the same thing. Use whatever kind of salt you wish – black, pink, purple – the recipe is nondiscriminatory)
1/4 tsp ground dried mint
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika

Same directions as the garam masala: put all the whole spices (plus the grated asafetida) in a small frying pan over medium heat (no oil) and stir them from time to time until they brown and give off an aroma. The original recipe says until they give off a “delicious aroma”, but that’s awfully subjective. Then grind using your method of choice. Store in an airtight container…

…and dream of chaat.