Tandoori masala (the mixture used in Indian cooking) is often made with ground spices, but it’s not really a spice rub. It’s a paste, and it can be made with whole spices.
The ingredients in tandoori masala are garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and turmeric. Garlic and ginger are pretty potent as far as preservatives go. Add salt and you have a very effective way to preserve meat.
Tandoori chicken is grilled over indirect heat, so it cooks slowly and gently. The marinade doesn’t burn; instead it flavors the meat as the fat melts away.
And that’s the key to tandoori—slow cooking over low heat (or indirect heat). The spices don’t burn; they permeate the meat with their flavor.
So which spices are best for grilling? Spices that can stand up to high heat—paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder or chipotle powder—are good if you’re grilling quickly over direct heat or if your grill has hot spots where less-spicy foods burn (as many do). But for slow cooking on the grill, whole or ground tandoori masala works best
Tandoori masala is a spice blend that’s been used for decades in Indian cuisine. Tandoori refers to the clay ovens (tandoors) in which the food is traditionally prepared, and masala is a mixture of spices. The blend can vary widely from one restaurant or family recipe to another, but typically includes such ingredients as ground ginger, cayenne pepper and turmeric.
Tandoori masala may be used as a marinade or as a rub on grilled meats, poultry and seafood. The spice mix also may be added to a variety of other dishes, such as soups or sauces.
Spices have long been used in grilling and barbecue recipes to impart flavor and aroma to foods being cooked over an open flame. In addition to adding flavor, some spices also may have medicinal properties that help boost the immune system, prevent foodborne illnesses and alleviate pain.
The American Spice Trade Association lists several types of spices that are appropriate for use in grilling applications: cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorns.*
Tandoori masala is a spicy blend of Indian spices that is usually served on grilled meats. The word “tandoori” refers to the type of clay oven in which the food is traditionally cooked, and “masala” means spice blend. Tandoori masala contains garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, coriander and other spices. It is most often used on chicken, but can also be used on lamb or fish.
Tandoori masala can be blended from scratch with whole spices, but more often it is purchased as a premade powder or paste. The pre-blended version can be easier to use when grilling because it comes with instructions for use and does not require any preparation before adding it to the marinade.*
The tandoori chicken at your favorite Indian restaurant probably contains tandoori masala or a close relative. However, these dishes are always cooked in large quantities in a commercial setting so they tend to lose their specific flavors and become dull. When added to a homemade marinade, tandoori masala will add an intense burst of flavor to grilled meats.*
Tandoori masala is a complex blend of spices that pairs perfectly with grilled meats and vegetables. A traditional Indian spice blend, tandoori masala is a mixture of ground spices like coriander, cumin, turmeric, red pepper and mustard seeds. It’s also commonly found in a paste form that has been cooked in vegetable oil and water.
Tandoori masala works well as a rub for grilled chicken or fish, but it can also be used as a marinade or sauce for meat or vegetables. You can make your own at home, or purchase one ready to use from most grocery stores. If you’re looking for some new flavor combinations to try on the grill this summer, here are some delicious recipes from our Food Monster App!
+ Charred Cauliflower with Tandoori Sauce
This recipe uses tandoori paste to create a smoky cauliflower dish that will satisfy any vegetarian snacking needs. To create an extra-spicy sauce, add more chilies with the garlic and ginger.
+ Grilled Tandoori Vegetables
These grilled veggies are ready in just minutes, thanks to tandoori paste and an outdoor grill! The recipe is vegan and can be made
Tandoori masala is an Indian spice blend, used most often with chicken and fish. The spices vary a lot, but the base is typically:
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
There are also sometimes other spices added. For example, some recipes have cayenne pepper or cardamom. But in general that’s it. It’s a simple 5-spice blend.
Tandoori masala is best known in North America as the main ingredient in “tandoori chicken”, a dish where chicken is marinated in yogurt and then grilled. That’s what I’ll use as my example here.
Tandoori masala is a blend of spices used in South Asian cooking. The name is often applied to any blend of spices that is used to flavor grilled or roasted food, but tandoori masala can also be mixed with yogurt and used as a marinade. Although it’s called a “masala,” which means “spice blend,” most tandoori masalas are quite dry; they are not pastes, but rather mixtures of spices that have been ground together and then sifted to remove the larger pieces.
Tandoori chicken gets its distinctive flavor from tandoori masala. Tandoori stands for clay ovens, which are used in India for cooking meat and fish. The chicken is marinated for several hours or overnight in a yogurt-based mixture containing the spices included in tandoori masala as well as salt, pepper and lemon juice before being baked in the tandoor oven. The chicken may also be cooked over direct heat and basted with oil during grilling.”
Tandoori Masala is a mixture of ground spices that is used extensively in Indian cooking.
The spice mixture includes ingredients such as chili powder, red pepper, coriander, cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Most cooks prefer to make their own tandoori masala so they can adjust the amount of heat and tanginess in the sauce. The exact combination of spices is quite personal and differs from place to place and cook to cook.
Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz’s “The Food of India” gives a list of individual spices as well as a recipe for the tandoori masala.”