Regional blends
Tandoori masala
A red marinade blend for food cooked in a clay oven, bright with paprika or Kashmiri chilli.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for cooks, makers and the curious.
Tandoori masala is a blend used to marinate chicken, paneer and vegetables for cooking in a tandoor, the clay oven of Punjab and the northwest. Its red colour often comes from mild chilli, and some commercial mixes add food colouring.
What goes in
- Kashmiri chilli429%, Colour.
- Coriander seed321%, Body.
- Cumin214%, Earthy.
- Ginger214%, Dried and ground.
- Kasuri methi17%, Dried leaf.
- Garam masala214%, Warm finish.
Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.
Made step by step
Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.
Step 1: Toast Toast the cumin and coriander and let them cool. Step 2: Grind Grind them with the dried ginger. Step 3: Grind Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms. Step 4: Blend Blend all powders with the chilli. Step 5: Rest Mix with yoghurt, lemon and garlic to make a marinade and leave the food in it for some hours. Step 6: Store Store the dry blend in a closed jar. Finished Tandoori masala, by share.
Marinade
The powder is mixed with yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic and ginger. The yoghurt tenderises the meat and carries the spices. Mustard oil is sometimes added.
Variation
Typical parts are mild red chilli, cumin, coriander, garam masala, dried fenugreek leaf and ginger. Each maker blends differently.
Where it is used
The spices in it
Chili pepperColour and heat.
GingerDried.
FenugreekKasuri methi.
CorianderThe leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.
CuminThe dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.
GingerThe pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.More on EveryMasala
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chili pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coriander: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source