For the best tandoori, make your own tandoori masala!
You will find many tandoori masala recipes out there. This tasty spice blend is amazing on poultry, meat, paneer and vegetables. You'll get amazing results every time as the spices are freshly ground and roasted. Doing this really brings out their flavour!
Tandoori masala isn't only good in a marinade. You can use it as a spice blend for many curries including this curry house style chicken tikka masala.
WHY MAKE YOUR OWN TANDOORI MASALA?
It's just plain better! The roasted and ground spices take everything up a notch. There is so much more flavour than anything you can purchase.
The resulting tandoori masala is great used as a dry rub or mixed into marinades and curries.
I usually use mango powder (amchoor) to add a nice citric flavour to the blend. If you want that tandoori restaurant flavour, however you will need to use citric acid powder.
STORING YOUR TANDOORI MASALA
Your homemade tandoori masala will keep for at least three months in an air tight container. This is how I normally store it.
Once you’ve made this recipe, you might like to try making a tandoor masala paste with the powder. Here is the link to my recipe.
The paste lasts longer than the ground powder and is delicious stirred into curries, raitas and marinades.
I don't always add red food colouring powder as it adds no flavour.
If you want that curry house look, however, you might like to add it.
STEP BY STEP PHOTOGRAPHS
Tandoori Masala
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
- 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 3 dried bayleaves
- 1 small piece of mace
- 3 tablespoons dried garlic flakes
- 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon ginger powder
- 1 tablespoon anchoor (mango) powder or citric acid
- 1 teaspoon (or more) red food colouring powder (optional)
Instructions
- Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and mace in a dry frying pan and place over medium heat.
- Move the spices around in the pan so that they roast evenly. When the spices become warm to the touch and fragrant, remove them from the heat to cool.
- Grind these spices with a spice grinder or pestle and mortar until you have a fine powder.
- Now grind the garlic and onion flakes until you again have a fine powder and add this mixture to the ground spices along with the ginger powder and amchoor or citric acid powder.
- Add food colouring until you are happy with the colour and then store the tandoori masala in an airtight container in a cool cupboard and use as required.
Notes
If you don't have dried garlic and/or dried onions, you can substitute about a tablespoon garlic powder and 2 tsp onion powder. Just add it when you add the other ground spices.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 14Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
Jules D. says
As I do agree with you that spices are the best when freshly ground per use. Though, not everyone has the luxury of this procedure on a daily basis and in my experience I have noticed some difference but it's not extreme, just as long as the spices are kept in appropriate temperature, humidity and packaging for the spices and no longer than a few months.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jules
Very true. I use both but do enjoy making my own. There are some nice -off the shelf - tandoori powders on the market.
Mina Joshi says
I love blending spices for curry. Can't beat home made spices. It's got the extra ingredients like love and patience and I am sure it makes the food taste nicer.
Keith says
I have corresponded with Birgit Erath of the Spice shop (London and Germany) and she has told me horror stories of some tandoori masalla's containing ground up red brick for the colouring.
Dan Toombs says
Really? That's terrible.
I have a couple off the shelf brands I use from time to time but would much rather make it myself. 🙂
Fred Toombs says
I live in Mexico but haven't found an Indian store that sells spices, do you know of one???
Thanks
Fred Toombs
Delhish says
Keep up the good work curry guy!!!!
Dan Toombs says
Hi Delhish
Thank you very much.:-)
Dan
Ruwaydah Essa says
Hi
Could I ask why you did not use fresh garlic and ginger. Also how long
Does this last, I mean what is the shelf life- does it need a 'preservative'.
Love your attention to detail and recipes -
Dan Toombs says
Hi Ruwaydah
Thank you for stopping by. This is a spice powder blend so fresh garlic and ginger would make it wet and it wouldn't keep as long. I always use fresh garlic and ginger in my curry recipes. The dried ginger and garlic also have a different as well so it adds to marinades and curries.
Cheers,
Dan
Dan Toombs says
Hi Ruwaydah
This masala will last for a good three months but the flavour and aroma is much better in the first day or so. I didn't use fresh garlic and ginger as it is a dry masala. I use fresh ginger and garlic in my curries.
Thanks,
Dan
jason says
Please quatify one small piece of mace, the dial on my scales doesn't give me that
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jason
It's really not that exact, but try about an inch long piece. You can always add a little more to taste.
Cheers,
Dan
Wouter says
No Kashmiri pepper?
Dan Toombs says
Not in this recipe but I do use it. Throw some in!
Thanks,
Dan
Max Herr says
@Dan Toombs,
I use the kasmiri pepper for both the added heat I prefer and its natural coloring. A little paprika can also enhance the color rather than a synthetic colorant.
Dan Toombs says
Very true, I do that often.
Thanks
Dan
Sargon says
I have garlic and onion powder in the cupboard already. I assume I can use them instead of buying dried garlic and onion and grinding them. My question is that if I use garlic and onion powder is it the same measurements (5 tbsp and 2 tbsp)?
Sargon says
Oh and thank you for the recipe
Dan Toombs says
Hi
Yes - use about the same measurements, maybe just keep tasting after the first spoon to make sure you like the taste.
Thanks
Dan
Phoebe Agnew says
Hi there, thanks for this its my first time trying. Do I remove the bay leaves after heating and before grinding? As normally these are removed. Thanks so much, Phoebe
Dan Toombs says
Yes, remove the bay leaves before grinding.
Thanks
Dan
Bene says
i have powdered Mace, can I use that, and if so - how much
Dan Toombs says
I have never tried that so just maybe use a pinch.
Thanks
Dan
Bene says
PS I have now signed up several times over the past month, to your emailed newsletters, and nothing is coming through! checked junk, spam, etc but nothing.
Dan Toombs says
Sorry about that, I have had to take a couple of months off but will be getting back into that soon.
Thanks
Dan
Bene says
looking forward to that ! ammuch enjoying your recipes.
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much, I’m glad you’re enjoying them.
Dan