Tandoori Masala: Interesting Facts About This Indian Spice Mix
24 September 2020
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Indian food is one of the most celebrated cuisines all over the world. This is because Indian dishes are prepared with only the freshest ingredients, along with traditional and delicate mixtures of spices. Each recipe has been passed on from generation to generation and spread out to different regions. Because of Indian cuisine's quality and flavours, there is a high demand for their dishes and finding Indian restaurants near you won't be as challenging.
Most of India's favoured dishes include a specific and essential ingredient: tandoori masala. Tandoori masala is a delectable spice mix that is added to meat, usually chicken.
Dishes are cooked using a traditional clay oven known as a tandoor. To make a tandoori dish, the meat is marinated with tandoori masala and yoghurt, and is then placed in the tandoor. The finished product is a spicy and abundant dish rich with flavours. The chicken meat is so soft, it will fall off your utensils with every slice.
Now that we got your attention with that tandoori chicken description, you may want to know more about this Indian spice. Here are interesting facts you need to know about this fantastic Indian spice mix.
The story behind tandoori masala
In 1920, Kundan Lala Gujral worked as a chef in a quaint restaurant in Pakistan. In this restaurant, he started experimenting with different dishes and used the tandoor as his main cooking equipment. At this time, the tandoor was only used for bread; however, Gujral believed that it could be used for other dishes as well.
During his culinary experiments, he used chicken and marinated it in yoghurt, seasoned it with a blend of spices and skewered. After a few trial-and-error with the recipe, Gujral was finally happy. Eventually, this became a popular dish in that area of Pakistan.
Years later, Gujral was forced to move back to India and opened his restaurant. There, the tandoori chicken he invented became famous and is now known globally. Because of its popularity, this dish has become a staple in hundreds of Indian restaurants today. Although many versions have been made, its traditional blend and red colour have remained.
What are the tasting notes of tandoori masala?
Over time, tandoori masala's ingredients have differed; however, the foundation built on this mix still uses similar spices used to make garam masala. In a tandoori masala spice blend, you'll find cumin, coriander, fennel, garlic and Kashmiri chilli. This gives this mix its intense aromas and complex flavour.
Since Kashmiri chillies are one of the main ingredients, it is fair to assume that you may get a peppery kick. However, this type of chilli is not hot at all. The spice level of this pepper is below the mildest jalapeño pepper, so you won't have to worry about not being able to handle the spice of tandoori masala.
How do you use tandoori masala?
You can use the tandoori masala spice mix for several Indian dishes such as butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and tandoori murgh with grilled chicken. This mix can be used in numerous Indian dishes because of its versatility.
Since the tandoori mix is flexible, you can use this blend for different dishes. You can use it as a dry rub for meat, for curry or even mix it in yoghurt to produce a marinade for your grilled vegetables.
Conclusion
Indian cuisine is so famous worldwide because of its unique dishes that are overflowing with flavours given by traditional spice mixes such as tandoori masala. If you want to experience Indian cuisine, try their traditional dishes and learn more about their spices.
Traditional Indian restaurants often have a variety of dishes that incorporate tandoori masala into their ingredients. If this article made you hungry, find the nearest Indian restaurant in your area and enjoy what Indian cuisine has to offer.
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