Chaat Masala or chat masala

Zingy, tangy, slightly-hot chaat masala is the perfect seasoning. It gets its distinctive flavour from the kala namak (black salt) used to make it. Though often used as a spice in cooking, chaat masala is mostly used as a garnish on salads, chaats (a generic name for savoury Indian snacks), drinks like Indian lemonade, meals like curries and dahls or daals etc.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 4 tablespoons amchur powder
• 3 tablespoons powdered black salt 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida/hing
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons adjwain seeds

Directions

•  Set up a frying pan on medium heat. When hot, put the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds on it.
• Dry roast these ingredients until the seeds begin to turn a little darker and start to give off their aromas. Stir often while roasting, to prevent the seeds from burning.
• When the seeds have roasted, remove them from the griddle and spread on a plate to cool.
• When cool, mix the seeds with all the other ingredients in a clean, dry, coffee grinder or food processor or mortar and pestle, and grind until you get a fine, smooth powder. The chaat masala is now ready to be used.

This recipe for chaat masala makes just under 1 cup of the masala, so multiply the ingredients if you need more.
Store your masala in a glass container, in a cool, dry place. Do not store it with other spices as the ingredients in chaat masala (especially the black salt) are highly aromatic and the other spices will take on its aroma.

*The original recipe that I adapted slightly.