Chaat masala (Hindi चाट मसाला) is a masala, or spice mix, typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, asafoetida and red pepper. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate or a banana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl, at chaat carts in India.
Chaat masala has a pungent smell and tastes sweet, sour and pungent. It is used to flavour all the popular street foods of India like Bhel, Golgappa, Aloo Chaat and Dahi Sev Puri amongst many more. Ready and processed chaat masala is now available all around the world in specialty Indian and Asian grocery stores. Companies like 'MDH', 'Everest', 'Mangal' and 'Shan' have recently improved their distributions and are exporting their spice mixes and chaat masalas globally.
