Chole Masala Powder

There is always that little pleasure when you use home-made masala powder. And why not, when freshly ground masala is only going to make your dish tastier. You can always make in large amounts for furture use. In that case, please multiply the following proportions accordingly.

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 3 tbsps

cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

1 tsp - black peppercorns

3-4 cloves

1 inch Cinnamon Stick

seeds of 2 green cardomom pods

3-4 dried red chillies

Method:

Dry roast the ingredients one by one as each spice reddens differently. To avoid charring, either roast each seperately or add to the pan in the following order:

cinnamon stick

Peppercorn

Cumin seeds

Coriander seeds

dried chillies

cloves

cardomom seeds

Roast well till all the spices redden equally.

Spread them on a wide plate and let cool. Once at room temperature, grind them to a very fine powder.

Note:

If you are intending to store this powder, keep the following points in mind to retain its freshness and an increased shelf-life:

Store in an air-tight container.

Always use a dry spoon.

Before grinding, ensure all the spices have reached room temperature, else lumps might be formed  which decrease its shelf-life