Chaat Masala

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

One of India’s most popular seasoning blends, Chaat Masala combines layer upon layer of intriguing flavors that are simultaneously tart, tangy, savory, fruity, and slightly spicy!   This blend is used to bring flavor and life to a variety of street food favorites and adds a unique flavor dimension to both sweet and savory dishes.  This homemade Chaat Masala recipe comes together in minutes and keeps for several months.

For more popular homemade Indian spice blends be sure to try our Garam Masala, Curry Powder, and Panch Phoron!

Nothing beats homemade seasoning blends.  Not only are the blends free from additives and preservatives, the flavors are vastly fresher and bolder.  There’s simply no comparison!  This homemade Chaat Masala recipe further attests to that truth.

What is Chaat Masala?

Chaat Masala is an Indian seasoning blend that combines such key ingredients like dry mango powder, cumin, coriander, asafoetida, and mint, to name a few.  It’s known for its complex flavor profile that brings together tangy, fruity, savory, and mildly spicy flavor notes.  It’s one of India’s most popular spice blends and is the signature seasoning used in variety of street foods known as chaat, which includes both sweet and savory dishes.  

Chaat Masala has a very distinct and unique flavor and each ingredient is essential for creating its signature interplay of contrasting and complementary flavors.

Core Ingredients in Chaat Masala

There are countless variations of chaat masala with both differences in ingredients as well as ratios and every Indian chef and family have their own recipes.  The spice blend can be simple or it can be complex, adding as many as a dozen or more different spices.  But there are a handful of core ingredients that are fundamental to chaat masala and those are amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, coriander, ginger, andardana (dried pomegranate seeds), black pepper, salt (often black salt, known as kala namak), mint, and asafoetida.  Let’s break those down individually:

• Amchur (dried mango powder): Made from unripe green mangoes, this provides the hallmark sweet tanginess of the blend.
• Cumin Seeds: Contributes an essential flavor base.
• Coriander Seeds: Contributes an essential flavor base.
• Black Salt (kala namak):  Derived from Himalayan salt mines, it’s not actually black in color, though some manufacturers add charcoal or coloring for aesthetics.  In larger crystal form the color is darker, often a grayish-purple hue, but once ground the color can range from light pink to pale lavender.
• Mint:  Adds a refreshing herbal note and slight sweetness.
• Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds):  Contributes sweet and tart flavor notes.  Can be used in powdered or seed form, the latter also contributing a light crunch to the texture.
• Black Peppercorns: For earthy, pungent complexity and a touch of heat to balance the other flavors.
• Ginger:  Adds complexity and a balancing warmth to the tangy notes.
• Asafoetida:  Contributes a powerful umami element with its pungent flavor and fragrance.

How to Use Chaat Masala

Chaat Masala is used to make to make chaat which refers to a variety of savory snacks, typically hors d’oeuvres, that are sold by street vendors from food carts and food stalls throughout India.  Chaat masala is the signature spice blend used in these snacks that range from fried potato patties (aloo tikki, pictured below) and stuffed fried pastry shells (dahi puri) to fried lentil balls doused in yogurt (dahi vada).

But chaat masala is versatile and has broad applications beyond chaat street foods.  Chaat masala can be used in a number of ways to add flavor and interest to your foods, for example it can be sprinkled on:

• Fruits and Indian fruit salads like Fruit Chaat
• Cucumber Raita 
• Soups and stews for a flavor boost
• Potatoes
• Eggs
• Egg toasts
• Leafy green salads
• Roasted vegetables
• Popcorn
• Roasted nuts

Chaat Masala Recipe

Let’s get started!

Place all of the whole seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and roast them until very fragrant.  Be careful not to scorch them or they will be bitter.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.

Once cool, grind the whole spices to a powder in a spice or coffee grinder.

Add the remaining spices and herbs and grind to a powder.

Store your homemade chaat masala in an airtight jar in a dark, cool place where it will keep for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!

For more homemade seasoning blends be sure to try our:

• Greek Seasoning
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Creole Seasoning
• Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Poultry Seasoning
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Everything Bagel Seasoning
• Dukkah
• Za’atar
• Chinese Five Spice
• Chili Powder
• British Mixed Spice
• Porcini Salt
• Shichimi Togarashi
• Pot Roast Seasoning
• Berbere
• Baharat