Chaat Masala, or, Chaat for Dummies

one little box, infinite possiblities...

Any voyage into the world of chaat requres some discussion of chaat masala. Simply put, chaat masala is a spice mixture that TURNS ANYTHING INTO CHAAT. Now, when I say spice mixture, I am not referring to the garam masala you bought online after watching the Food Network. And I am definitely not referring tothe curry powder you got from the supermarket as an impulse buy the day after your first time at an Indian restaurant. No, chaat masala is a different beast entirely.

Though recipes vary widely (many can be found online), there are a few ingredients which make chaat masala special. Aside from some spicy heat, the dominant flavor of chaat masala is a tartness, contributed by amchur, or green mango powder. Also featured is kala namak (black salt), which has a sulfurous pungency (note to vegans: sometimes you guys use this stuff to mimic egg flavors). Aside from that we find many of the usual suspects: cumin, coriander, asafoetida (hing), etc. To be honest though, I have never made the stuff from scratch; it’s pretty cheap, and available at any Indian grocer. Here in the midwest, I am using a box which I purchased for $.99 (actually, it was on sale for $.79). Back at school, I work with some organic nonsense I picked up at Fabindia.

Back to the important message: chaat masala + anything = chaat. Case in point:

chaat masala + cucumber = MASALA CUCUMBER!
chaat masala + guava = MASALA GUAVA!
chaat masala + random fried bits = every other chaat ever!

I did not make these things up. These are actual foods purchasable on the streets/trains of India. But really, the sky’s the limit. Chaat masala + carrots? MASALA CARROTS! Chaat masala + potato chips? MASALA CHIPS! Go all crazy with some fusion MASALA BEAN DIP (or hummus)! Where does it end? Chaat masala + chocolate cake = MASALA CHOCOLATE CAKE?! (This coming from someone who gave serious thought to how best to incorperate chaat masala into some sort of ice cream.)

Here is a good way to get into the chaat masala groove: a stupid-simple corn chaat. This stuff seemed to be sold especially outside supermarkets and movie theaters, and was one of the first chaats us gora felt confident enough to eat without risking our stomachs (rest assured, those fears passed quickly). No exact proportions or promises of perfect authenticity, but I daresay it’s pretty good stuff.

Ingredients: