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Chaat masala

Regional 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)

  • Fruity & sour
  • Pungent & sulphurous
  • Earthy
  • Very mild
Buying & storing14 recipes

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

Flavour and aroma

sour, salty, sulphurous, tangy. Sour, salty, tangy, slightly sulphurous.

Heat
Very mild
Forms
ground

How to use it

  • use raw

    Sprinkle over food just before serving. Do not cook it; heat dulls the black salt and amchur.

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

Identifying good quality

Beige-brown powder with an eggy, sour, cumin smell from the black salt and amchur.

Origin and history

Origin: North India.. Grown and used: Used across India and Pakistan..

Chaat masala is a tangy, salty blend built on amchur, black salt and roasted cumin, often with black pepper, asafoetida, dried mint and chilli. It seasons street chaat, fruit, salads and snacks.

Well documented

In masalas, pastes and sauces

Recipes with chaat masala

5 more