The Pantry / Chaat masala
Chaat masala
The sour-salty spark of the street.
What it is
Chaat masala is the tangy, funky seasoning that makes street snacks taste of the street — built around amchur (dried mango) for sourness and black salt for its sulphurous tang, with cumin, chilli and asafoetida behind them. It is sprinkled on, not cooked in.
Where it comes from
It belongs to the chaat and snack cooking of the north, a blend whose whole purpose is that mouth-watering sour-salty lift. Like garam masala, recipes vary, but amchur and black salt are the non-negotiables.
What it's called
Chaat masala · from chaat, the family of savoury street snacks it seasons.
In the kitchen
Dusted over fruit, chaats, fried snacks, grilled meats and even drinks for an instant sour-salty-savoury hit. It goes on at the end or at the table — its aromas are volatile and its job is a finishing spark, never a base.
What we know about the claims
It is a seasoning blend containing salt (including black salt), so the ordinary sodium note applies; otherwise a flavour. Its black-salt tang is the whole point.
Choosing and buying
Sold ready-blended in every South Asian grocer (UK and US) — a jar lasts a long time. Easy to make from amchur, black salt, cumin and chilli if you keep those.