India is known for its abundance of spices, whether it is by types or availability. The rich spice culture in India is also reflected in the significant use of spices in their cooking.
Many spices here, such as turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, black pepper and fenugreek are widely available in other parts of the world. But there is one type of spice combination that is uniquely Indian (or rather South Asian), which is none other than chaat masala itself.
Chaat masala is composed of dried mango benefits powder, cumin, benefits of coriander seeds for thyroid, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, health benefits chilli powder and asafoetida. What are the health benefits of chaat masala?
What are its Health Benefits?
- Chaat Masala is a Source of Minerals
First off, chaat masala is a wealthy source of minerals such as iron and calcium, which can be found through mango powder, asafoetida as well as cumin. Iron and calcium are useful for building red blood cells and strong bones respectively. Cumin on the other hand, contains magnesium on its own right.
- Chaat Masala is Full of Vitamins
There are tons of vitamins that one can discover through the compositions of chaat masala. The dried red hot chilli peppers contain vitamins A and C, which works for the eyes and immunity respectively.
Cumin also has vitamin A, whereas asafoetida is a source of niacin and riboflavin B vitamins. And finally, coriander is a modest yet still significant contributor to vitamin C.
- Chaat Masala Contains Antioxidants
It is no secret that most if not all Indian spices contain antioxidants in one way or another, which also applies to chaat masala as well!
Chaat masala contains asafoetida-sourced ferulic acid, which drives away cancer causing free radicals and works to get a fine quality skin. Ginger on the other hand contains gingerol, which possesses antibacterial, antitumour and anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Chaat Masala Treats Digestive Issues
Regular stomach ache as well as bloating can be prevented at best using black peppers, benefits of ginger for asthma as well as health benefits of coriander seeds soaked in water.
- Chaat Masala is Safe for Diabetic People
Studies have shown that cumin carries promising potentials to diabetic patients, because certain chemical compounds carried inside cumin mitigate several of high blood pressure’s symptoms.
- Chaat Masala for High Blood Pressure Treatment
Speaking of high blood pressure or hypertension, coriander is also proven to be effective in treating high blood pressure by lowering it, which may cause heart attacks in the long run.
Uses of Chaat Masala
Chaat masala is used to flavour chaat, or Indian fried street snacks. On the other hand, varieties of chaat street snacks include bhel puri, aloo tikki, papdi chaat, as well as pani puri. For modern application, they can be used to garnish salads or fruits.
The uses of chaat masala in fruits have found a way to develop a dedicated dish named fruit chaat masala, with fewer flavour composition of ginger and cumin, but significant flavour composition of asafoetida and chilli. Either way, chaat masala remains a flexible and versatile type of spice, and can be added during cooking or after cooking.
How to Make Chaat Masala
Ingredients
- 1 cup of coriander seeds
- 1 ¼ cup of cumin seeds
- ½ cup of thymol (ajwain) seeds
- ½ cup of mango powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons of garam masala
- 1 ¼ cup of powdered black rock salt
- 4 teaspoons of powdered black pepper
- 2 teaspoons of citric acid
- ½ cup of powdered dry mint leaves
Steps
- First, roast the coriander, cumin and ajwain seeds in a pan until it gets dark brown.
- Remove from the pan to let it cool down.
- Put all the ingredients together and make it into a powder using a processor.
- Store it in an airtight jar or container.
- Chaat masala is now ready to be used!