Kitchen King Masala

Most "all-purpose" masalas are just a handful of common spices boxed up and sold under a name that implies more than what's actually inside. Open most of them and it's coriander, cumin, chilli, turmeric, and salt the same ingredients in any Indian kitchen's spice tin, just pre-mixed and priced up. 

Poppy seed gives it a nuttiness and body that most mass-market all-purpose blends skip entirely. Kachari and triphala bring the same tang and balance they add to the biryani and pav bhaji blends. Black cumin is paired alongside regular cumin, not swapped in for it  where most brands would bother with only one.

It doesn't just sit on top of the gravy like a thin masala  it infuses it with the aroma of mace and clove, and the pungency of black cumin and kachari.

What is it

Cold-ground and packed in an air-tight pouch, a blend of coriander, black pepper, poppy seed, turmeric, cumin, salt, dry fenugreek leaves, fenugreek seeds, garlic, onion, caraway, kachari, fennel seed, dry ginger, cinnamon, asafoetida, black cardamom, mace, chilli, bay leaves, clove, triphala, nutmeg, black cumin and citric acid. This is meant to be cooked as a base masala in curries, gravies and vegetable dishes.

What makes it special?

Poppy seed is the ingredient most all-purpose masalas skip  it gives the gravy a nutty texture that ground spice alone can't.Kachari and triphala bring the same tang and balance as in the biryani and pav bhaji blends, and black cumin adds a sharper, more bitter note than regular cumin. Garlic, onion, and fenugreek round it out into something that can carry an entire dish, not just season the top.

Why choose shaman?

All 25 ingredients are listed separately  including kachari and triphala  not wrapped into a vague "mixed spices" line. So, cold-ground, like mace, clove, cardamom and nutmeg keep their oils with them, rather than losing them to heat before the pouch is sealed. No added colours, no added preservatives  the standard across this range.

How can you use

Add it to the base of browned onion-tomato-garlic gravy, and let it bloom in the oil for a minute before vegetables or paneer is added, so that the whole spices actually get cooked in the gravy. Use it as the single masala for a mixed vegetable curry, paneer sabzi, or dal, instead of reaching for two or three jars.

What foods go well with it?

Mixed vegetable curry, paneer sabzi, dal, chana masala, and any North Indian gravy that would otherwise need more than one masala jar.

What's in it?

Coriander, black pepper, poppy seed, turmeric, cumin, salt, dry fenugreek leaves, fenugreek seeds, garlic, onion, caraway, kachari, fennel seed, dry ginger, cinnamon, asafoetida, black cardamom, mace, chilli, bay leaves, clove, triphala, nutmeg, black cumin, citric acid. The golden brown colour is achieved without the use of added colours, it's all in the turmeric and the whole spices.

How is it made?

Like every blend in this range, this one is cold-ground, so mace, clove, cardamom, and nutmeg keep the oils that give them their aroma instead of losing them to heat before the pouch is sealed

How to recognize a good quality Kitchen King masala?

Three things to check. First, it should have a nutty scent from poppy seed, warmth from clove and cardamom, and tang from kachari  no single flat note. Second, the colour should be a mottled golden-brown from turmeric and whole spices, not a bright, uniform orange. Third, the ingredient list should be long  a "kitchen king" masala with only eight or nine ingredients isn't living up to the name.

This one ticks all three: a nutty, warm, tangy aroma, natural mottled colour, and a full twenty-five-ingredient list.

What is the proper way to store it?

Refrigerated after opening, away from direct sunlight, cool and dry, and airtight; mace, clove and cardamom lose their flavor the quickest when the pouch is opened regularly.

Would it be appropriate for regular use?

Yes, and as a full cooking spice, it's even lower in sodium than the biryani, chicken and paneer masalas  0.95g per 100g.