Homemade Tandoori Masala

You might have heard of the phrase 'the secret sauce'. For Indian cooking the equivalent phrase could very well be 'the secret masala blend'.
If I have to choose among my most favorite masala blends, it sure will be a close one between 'Tandoori masala' and 'Garam masala' - they are both absolute must-haves in my pantry! Whether you grew up eating tandoori chicken at your local restaurant or you just tasted a bite of it because someone took you along to an Indian restaurant and got completely bowled over, or anywhere in between, you would know tandoori is one of the most loved flavors in Indian dishes. And let me let you in on a secret, this is the spice blend (read: magic) behind all those lip smacking tandoori and tikka treats!

I love making homemade masalas (of course not always) but as they say homemade is definitely the BEST! Fresh, aromatic and so full of Indian-ness! Make it and use it and you’ll have a new flavor in life and in your food. Even if you regularly use the store-bought version, you will mark the noticeable difference in flavor with this fresh homemade masala. The best part is that it is so easy to make that you’ll wonder why you have not been doing it for all these years. Mom always used to grind fresh masalas on her sil-patti (stone-block). Over time, the stone block was replaced by the more convenient electric mixer/grinder, the masala and the lip-smacking taste remained unchanged.
Recently I have had quite a few requests from my readers for recipes of homemade masala blends. So here is one of my most favorite ones and stay tuned for more.

Here's a little tip- I always try to make small quantities as and when needed. Fresh-made, that's when the masala blends are the most fragrant. For grinding small quantities, I always use my coffee grinder.

To give you an idea of the versatility of this masala (and also of how much I love it), here's a list of recipes so far on USMasala I have used this masala in -Paneer tikka, Tandoori potatoes, Mushroom tikka masala, Chicken tikka, Paneer tikka masala, Tandoori Paneer pizza, Paneer calzone, Tandoori Tikka chaat,Tandoori pasta Paneer Kathi rolls to name some.

Ingredients: makes about 1/2 cup

Coriander seeds		2 tbsp
Cumin seeds		4 tsp
Whole black peppercorns		1 tsp
Garam masala powder		1 tbsp
Paprika		2 tsp
Red chilli powder		1 - 2 tsp
Garlic powder		1 tsp
Kasoori methi (dried Fenugreek leaves)		2 tbsp (crushed)
Salt		1 tsp

Method:

In a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat, dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and the  peppercorns. Once the seeds turn brown and you get the aroma of the spices, take it off the flame. Allow to cool down and grind to a powder. Add in rest of the ingredients and mix very well. You can store this masala in an air-tight container for about 2 months.ENJOY!

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