Chana Masala Powder

5 from 20 votes

Homemade chana masala powder is a unique and aromatic spice blend that is used to make Punjabi chole masala or chana masala.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Other

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Hindu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: tablespoons

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Equipment

Ingredients

Whole spices:

3 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 teaspoon cumin seeds
12-15 Kashmiri red chili
6 green cardamom
1 black cardamom (discard skin and use seeds)
3 inch cinnamon
10 cloves
1 teaspoon peppercorn
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)

Powdered spices:

2 tablespoon amchur (dry mango powder)
1 tablespoon anardana powder (dry pomegranate seeds powder)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon black salt
½ teaspoon asafoetida hing

Instructions

Dry roast whole spices:

Heat a frying pan on medium heat and dry roast red chili until they puff up and become crisp. Set them aside.
Next, add coriander seeds and cumin seeds in the same pan. Dry roast until they are aromatic.
To the same mixture, add green cardamom, seeds of black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and fennel seeds. Roast for a further 1-2 minutes.
Set everything aside and let it cool down completely.

Grind the spices:

Grind the roasted whole spices into a fine powder in a blender or mixie.
Once the whole spices are ground, add the powdered spices to the blender (amchur, anardana powder, dried ginger powder, nutmeg powder, turmeric powder, black salt, and hing).
Blend for a few seconds so that everything combines well.
Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Roast the spices evenly. The spices should be roasted until they are fragrant, but not burned. If the spices are burned, they will have a bitter taste. To evenly roast the spices, stir them constantly while they are in the pan.

Cool the whole spices before grinding. After toasting, allow the spices to cool completely before grinding them. Grinding hot spices can result in moisture buildup, affecting the quality of the powder.

Adjust the spice level to your liking. If you like your food spicy, add more dried red chilies to the recipe. If you prefer a milder flavor, reduce the amount of chilies or omit them altogether.

Nutrition