Tandoori Masala
Difficulty 2/5 Ingredients 17 Steps 4
Tandoori masala is a mixture of spices specifically for use with a tandoor, or clay oven, in traditional Pakistani and Indian Punjabi cooking. The specific spices vary somewhat from one region to another, but typically include fenugreek, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, etc.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds or methi
- ½ teaspoon onion seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon hot masala or garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder or haldi
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon chile powder or mirchi
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and cleaned
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger
- 2 jalapeño peppers (seeds and all)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed, long stems cut off
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup plain yogurt (yogurt hung in cheesecloth to remove excess liquid works best)
Steps
- Toast the fenugreek and onion seeds in a sauté pan, tossing, several minutes. Grind together with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
- In a food processor, blend the ground seeds with the salt, garam masala, turmeric, curry powder, coriander powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic, vegetable oil, ginger, jalapeños, cilantro and lemon juice into a smooth paste.
- Spoon into a large bowl. Stir in the yogurt.
- Marinate meat or fish 8 hours (or bathe first in white distilled vinegar for a shorter marination). Toss tofu, vegetables or paneer in just before grilling. Baste with the marinade over the grill.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Tandoori Masala” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-06-20, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.