Chaat Masala

Chaat masala is not new to street food culture, but it's an older version. Black salt, roasted cumin, asafoetida, and black pepper have been used in Ayurvedic and Unani cooking for centuries as digestive spices that are taken after the meal to settle the stomach. One day, someone added the same mix to dry mango powder and began to sprinkle it onto food rather than eating it later, and thus was born what most people now call chaat masala.

What is it?

Dry blend of black salt, chilli, dry mango powder, coriander, cumin, black pepper, salt, citric acid, kachari, dry ginger and asafoetida, packed and stored in an air-tight pouch and kept in a cool place.Meant to be sprinkled dry over fruit, snacks, and finished dishes no cooking required.

What makes it special?

Most of the work is being done by the black salt. Black salt has a natural sulphur taste that regular salt or a generic "tangy masala" can't replicate. That's what makes this distinctive. The sourness is placed on top with dry mango and citric acid, the warmth is placed under with cumin and asafoetida and the heat is placed on the bottom with chilli and black pepper.

Why choose Shaman?

As with all other pouches in this range  the label reads exactly what's in the pouch, black salt and dry mango, not folded into "spices. When the cumin and asafoetida is kept in a pouch, it does not get flat before opening the pouch because it is cold ground. There are no added colours, no added preservatives and that's what it says on the label.

How do you use it?

Sprinkle it dry over fruit chaat, sliced cucumber or guava, roasted peanuts or serve a plate of bhel puri, sev puri or papdi chaat just before serving. A little of this added to buttermilk or lemon water makes it into a jaljeera-style cooler. It's a finishing spice, not a cooking spice.

What foods go well with it?

Fresh fruit and salads, roasted or fried snacks, sandwiches, boiled eggs, raita and any summer drink that craves a tangy, salty twist on plain lemon.

What's in it?

Black salt, chilli, dry mango powder, coriander, cumin, black pepper, salt, citric acid, kachari, dry ginger, asafoetida. No added colours: the blackish colour is due to the black salt and dry mangoes themselves and not a dye.

How is it made?

Cold-ground rather than heat-processed, so the cumin and asafoetida keep their sharp, warm flavour instead of fading into background dust the same reason the oregano and pani puri blends in this range are ground the same way.

How can you identify good-quality chaat masala?

Three things to check. First, it should have a sharp black salt and roasted cumin aroma the moment the pouch opens, not just a salty taste. Second, the colour should be an uneven, dusty brown from the black salt and dry mango, not flat and uniform. Third, black salt and dry mango should be named on the label, not hidden under a vague "chaat masala". This one ticks all three: aroma from the moment you open it, natural uneven colour, and black salt and dry mango named on the label

How should you store it?

Airtight, cool and dry, out of direct sunlight, refrigerated once opened, cumin and asafoetida are the first to lose their punch when the pouch is left open on the counter.

Is it suitable for everyday use?

Yes, but it has a high sodium content of 13.6g per 100g which is higher than our pani puri masala, but lower than the oregano blend, and still higher than 5% salt content. Used a pinch at a time over fruit or a finished dish, so the amount per serving stays small. Not safe for anyone with a severe allergy to sesame, wheat, mustard, peanut, or cashew processed in a facility that also handles these