When you feel like making potato tikki, dahi bhalla, bhel, or fruit salad at home, you often use all the ingredients correctly, but the dish doesn't achieve the same rich flavor as street food stalls. Adding a small amount of chat masala radically changes the flavor profile of the entire dish, making it spicy, sour, and pungent. This is why chat masala is used not only for chaat but also for sprinkling on vegetable salads made from cucumbers and tomatoes, sandwiches, french fries, and fruits.
Although many prefer ready-made chat masala from the store, preparing it at home turns out to be very simple. It does not require expensive or exotic spices; components such as cumin (jeera), coriander, fennel (ajwain), black pepper, amchur, and black salt are easily found in most Indian kitchens. These spices just need to be lightly roasted and then ground in the required proportion to obtain an aromatic chat masala that is appetizing in itself.
How to Make Homemade Spicy Chat Masala
The first step is to roast the whole spices: heat cumin, coriander, fennel, and black pepper in a thick-bottomed pan over low heat, stirring constantly for two to three minutes. It is important not to roast the spices over high heat, otherwise, they may burn and become bitter. As soon as an aroma appears and the color of the cumin slightly changes, turn off the heat.
After roasting, the spices must be completely cooled by transferring them to a plate, as grinding hot spices negatively affects their aroma and taste. Then, the cooled spices are placed in a dry blender jar along with amchur, black salt, white salt, hing, and mint powder. If a tangier flavor is desired, lime zest can be added. Instead of continuously running the blender, use the pulse function two or three times.
The finished powder must be sifted through a fine sieve and stored in a clean, dry, airtight glass jar. Always use a dry spoon when taking it out to avoid moisture contamination.
Don't Overdo It With Chat Masala
Chat masala is intended to enhance flavor, so it should be used moderately. It is best to start with a pinch or half a teaspoon, taste, and then add more as needed. Since black salt and amchur have an intense flavor, too much can spoil the taste of the entire dish. This homemade chat masala can be used in potato tikki, dahi bhalla, papdi chaat, bhel, fruit salads, sandwiches, and vegetable salads.