Tandoori Masala
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. The spices are ground to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. The masala is mixed with plain yogurt, and meat (usually chicken) is coated with the mixture, then slow-roasted in the tandoor. Chicken prepared in this fashion has a pink-coloured exterior and a savoury flavor.
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)
Ingredients for 96 servings (525 g) · the original recipe
Method
- 1
Toast the fenugreek and onion seeds first by heating and tossing in a sauté pan for several minutes. Grind them together using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
- 2
In a food processor, blend fenugreek and onion seeds with the salt, garam masala, turmeric, curry powder, coriander powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic, vegetable oil, ginger, jalapeños, cilantro and lemon juice until all the ingredients become a smooth paste.
Food processor - 3
Spoon the mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in the yogurt.
- 4
Marinate meat or fish for 8 hours (or bathe first in white distilled vinegar for shorter marination time). Tofu, vegetables or paneer can be tossed into the marinade just before grilling. Use the marinade to baste over the grill.
Grill or barbecue
Recipe from Wikibooks Cookbook, written by Wikibooks contributors. Used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; the ingredient list and method on this page are taken from that page and edited (its notes, tips and variations are not reproduced), and are available under the same licence. The macros, equipment tags and scaling are Ma Kitchen’s own and are not the source’s figures. Ma Kitchen is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wikibooks Cookbook. Copied on 2026-11-12.
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