Tandoori Masala Recipe

Make your own homemade Tandoori Masala at home with this easy recipe and ingredients you might already have in your pantry. Use this recipe to make Tandoori chicken, salmon, or to season roasted veggies.

What spices are in Tandoori Masala

Tandoori Masala is a seasoning mix that includes a variety of spices including paprika, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili, and Garam Masala (another spice mix that includes warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, etc.)

A Tandoor is a clay oven used in Indian cooking. Masala simply means seasoning in Hindi. Tandoori flavoured dishes usually stand out because of their bright red colour.

This striking colour is often achieved by using orange or red food coloring. I am keeping this Tandoori Masala powder recipe on the natural side by relying only on the spices' natural red food colouring - especially the red from the paprika (smoked and regular) and yellow from the turmeric. It is also free from any preservatives.

How to Make Tandoori Masala at Home

As is the case with most of my ethnic recipes, I don’t claim that this Tandoori recipe is the most authentic way to make it. Many Indian seasoning mixes require to first dry roast the whole spices and seeds and then freshly grinding them at home.

I am certain this makes for an incredibly flavourful Tandoori seasoning, but in my home kitchen I just usually don't take the time to toast and grind whole spices. So instead I am using ground spices from my spice rack.

To ensure full flavours I just try to use the ground spices within 6 months or so of purchase. So if that sits better with you, let’s call this a simplified or easy Tandoori recipe.

Making this Tandoori Masala then, is as easy as this:

1. Pull all the individual spice ingredient from the rack/pantry/cabinet
2. Measure the ingredients into a jar or bowl
3. Close the jar and shake to mix. Or use a whisk to combine the ingredients in a bowl

Done! Use the Tandoori Masala right away or store in an airtight container until later use.

Is tandoori masala spicy?

While this Tandoori Masala recipe includes some red chili powder, it is not an overly spicy seasoning mix. Chili powder is just one of many ingredients, and makes up a small amount of the mix, compared to the other spice ingredients.

Using this Tandoori spice mix will give your food a little heat, but nothing overpowering. My preschooler dislikes all spicy foods (at the moment) but she never complains when I use this Tandoori spice recipe.

How to Use Tandoori Masala Spice Mix

I love using this homemade Tandoori Masala on EVERYTHING! Aside from using in certain Indian dishes, it is a great all-purpose seasoning to give anything from veggies to protein a delicious flavour without having to pull out half of my spice rack from the shelf. Mixed with yogurt it makes an amazing marinade for poultry, seafood, or tofu.

Here are just some of the ways I’ve used it in my kitchen:

• Crispy roasted chickpeas
• Roasted sheet pan veggies
• Tandoori Chicken Wings
• Tandoori Salmon

Other great homemade spice mix recipes

• Gluten Free Taco Seasoning
• Cajun Spice Mix
• Homemade Chai Spice Mix
• Homemade Ranch Seasoning
• Best Dry Rub for Ribs
• Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning

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