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Chaat masala

Spices & seasonings · Spice blends

Chaat masala

Tangy, salty, funky North Indian sprinkle of amchur, black salt, cumin and chilli for chaat and fruit.

Also called: chat masala, chaat powder

Around the world: चाट मसाला (hi)

A kind of spices

14 recipes with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Make it yourself: Chaat masala

Photo: Khurram Shehzad / Flickr user: Lekum's, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

What it is

Chaat masala is a sour-salty finishing blend, usually roasted cumin, amchur, black salt (kala namak), black pepper, chilli, ajwain and asafoetida. Black salt gives a distinctive sulphurous note. It is sprinkled over food rather than cooked, and adds both salt and sourness.

How it’s used

  • Sprinkled on chaat, bhel and pani puri
  • Fruit salads and cucumber
  • Raita and lassi
  • Fries and grilled corn
  • Tikka and kebabs

Characteristics

Taste
Sour, salty, tangy, slightly sulphurous.
Sold as
ground
Cooking uses
Mainly a seasoning, Used as a garnish

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Airtight jar; clumps in humidity.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions. May contain Wheat, Gluten — check the label.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free (check label)
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains salt; often contains asafoetida, which may include wheat.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
325 kcal
Protein
14.29 g
Carbohydrate
55.83 g
Fat
14.01 g
Fibre
53.2 g
Sugars
2.76 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, curry powder (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Roasted cumin, amchur and salt — Mix equal parts with a pinch of chilli; lacks black salt's tang.

Related ingredients

Recipes with chaat masala

See all 14

2 more

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