Homemade Chaat Masala

Name: Homemade Chaat Masala
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (18 g) cumin seeds, whole; 1 tablespoon (6 g) coriander seeds, whole; 1 teaspoon (2 g) fennel seeds, whole; 2 teaspoons (4 g) black peppercorns, whole; 4 whole (4 g) dried red chilies (such as Kashmiri or arbol), stems removed, broken in half; 3 tablespoons (18 g) amchur (dried mango powder), none; 1½ tablespoons (24 g) black salt (kala namak), finely ground; if in lumps, crush first; 1 tablespoon (1 g) dried mint leaves, crumbled; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground ginger, none; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) asafoetida (hing), none (optional); 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, none

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tangy, funky, savory Indian spice blend built on toasted cumin and coriander, sour amchur and sulfurous black salt. Sprinkle it on fruit, fries, yogurt, and street-food snacks.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 6 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 31 min
Makes: About ¾ cup (90 g), roughly 24 servings of ½ teaspoon... actually about 3 tablespoons per 2 tablespoons? See storage

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Steps

Before you start

Black salt (kala namak) and amchur (dried green mango powder) are sold at Indian grocers and online; check you have both before starting.
Use a dry skillet and keep the heat moderate: spices go from fragrant to bitter quickly.
Use a clean, completely dry spice grinder or blender jar, since moisture makes the blend clump.

1
Heat the skillet
- Set an 8-inch (20 cm) dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute so it is warm but not smoking.
- Do not add oil.
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Ready when: Pan feels warm when you hold your palm 2 inches above it.
2
Toast whole spices
- Add the cumin, coriander, fennel, peppercorns and dried chilies.
- Stir or shake constantly for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Spices smell nutty and strongly aromatic, cumin darkens a shade to golden brown, and the chilies turn slightly deeper red. Stop before any smoke or sharp bitter smell.
Tip: Chilies scorch fast; pull the pan off the heat the moment the cumin darkens.
3
Cool completely
- Tip the spices onto a plate in a single layer.
- Let them cool for 15 minutes until room temperature.
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Ready when: Spices feel cool, not warm, to the touch.
Tip: Grinding warm spices releases moisture and causes clumping.
4
Grind the spices
- Grind the cooled toasted spices in a spice grinder in 2 batches, 30 to 45 seconds each, pulsing and shaking the grinder, until a fine powder with no whole seed pieces.
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Ready when: Powder looks uniform and no whole seeds or chili flakes larger than a grain of sand remain.
Tip: Let the powder settle for 10 seconds before opening the lid to avoid a spicy cloud.
5
Sift the powder
- Pass the ground spices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
- Re-grind any coarse bits that stay behind and sift again.
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Ready when: Nothing coarse is left in the sieve.
6
Add the tangy powders
- Add the amchur, black salt, dried mint, ground ginger, fine sea salt and the asafoetida, if using, to the bowl.
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Tip: Crush any black salt lumps first, as they won't blend evenly.
7
Mix and taste
- Whisk for 1 minute until the color is even.
- Taste a pinch on your fingertip: it should be tart, salty, savory and a little funky.
- Add up to 1 teaspoon more amchur for tang or a pinch more black salt for funk.
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Ready when: Blend is a uniform tan-brown with no streaks of pale amchur.
Tip: Black salt smells sulfurous (like egg) in the jar, which mellows once sprinkled on food.
8
Store
- Transfer to a clean, dry airtight jar.
- Leave it for at least 1 day if you can, so the flavors meld.
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Tip: Label the jar with the date.

Good to know

Tips

Start with ½ teaspoon per serving on fruit, fries, chickpeas, or yogurt and adjust to taste.
Always cool toasted spices fully before grinding to avoid clumping.
Sprinkle on food just before serving; the black salt flavor fades with heat.
Wipe the grinder with a few tablespoons of raw rice pulsed to clean strong spice residue.

Make ahead

Make up to 1 month ahead; the flavor is even better after a day of resting.

Storage & reheating

Keep in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 3 months at room temperature for best flavor (safe longer). Do not refrigerate, as condensation causes clumping. Freezing is unnecessary. No reheating needed.

Substitutions

black salt (kala namak) → additional fine sea salt (1 tablespoon). You lose the signature eggy, sulfurous note, so the blend tastes less authentic.
amchur (dried mango powder) → 1 tablespoon lemon zest dried, or 1 teaspoon citric acid. Citric acid is very sour; start with ½ teaspoon and taste.
dried red chilies (such as Kashmiri or arbol) → 1 teaspoon cayenne or Kashmiri chili powder. Add after grinding, in the mixing step.
asafoetida (hing) → Omit. It is optional and adds a subtle savory onion-garlic depth.