You Can Use Chaat Masala In Countless Ways. We List Five

An Indian kitchen is incomplete without chaat masala—a blend of spices that can elevate any dish by several notches.

Known for slightly tangy and spicy flavours, you can add chaat masala to fruit salads, raita and, of course, pani-puri and papri-chaat. In fact, it is impossible to imagine Indian street food without chaat masala.

Because it is a blend of spices, every kitchen can have it own unique mix. However, chaat masala usually contains some of these spices—raw mango powder, cumin, coriander, black pepper, asafoetida, chilli powder and black salt. While one doesn’t exactly know when chaat masala came into existence, many believe it traces its origins to the kitchen of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

Here are five interesting ways in which you can use chaat masala:

1. Chaat masala is a key ingredient in a range of chaat: aloo tikki, papri-chaat, bhel-puri and pani-puri.

2. You can use chaat masala as a seasoning fix in your main course meals. Sprinkle some on your dal, rajma or chhole to make them super-delicious. Season your regular dough with some chaat masala for that extra zing in your roti and paratha.

3. A little bit of chaat masala can give an interesting twist to regular French fries. You can sprinkle some on pakoras too.

4. You can also garnish your vegetable or fruit salad with chaat masala, which will work as a taste enhancer.

5. You can add a pinch of chaat masala to your lemonades and shikanjis, masala soda and even buttermilk. You can also lace the rim of the glass with the masala while serving the drink.