Chettinad Spice Mix

 

Chettinadu is the land of  the Chettiars who are the mercantile, weaving & agricultural people to the south of India mainly in the states of Tamil Nadu & Kerala.

Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Nattukotai Chettiars or Nagarathars. In addition to the traditional Southern Indian Staples like Coconut, Legumes & Pulses, during their centuries of participation in the spice trade, the people of Chetiinad added many spices to their cuisine like Indonesian Nutmeg, Ceylon Cinnamon, Madagascar Cloves, Tellicherry Pepper and sometime even blue Ginger from Vietnam & Laos.

Chettiars were traditionally vegetarian, and to this day, their traditional & festive feast remain vegetarian. Centuries over centuries of delicately mixing & layering spices, we got the our beloved Chettinad Spices Mix which can be used in a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.   

I always recommend getting the choicest whole spices from your trusted market and making all kinds of ground spices at home to ensure purity and desired taste.

So lets learn how to make the Chettinad Spice mix in under 15 minutes and you can store in a refrigerator for at least a month.

Ingredients and Proportions:
I wish to share my recipe with you today hoping the taste will make you go wow. 

As I have mentioned in my other Masala series blogs, each Masala/Spice Mix Powder has basically three types of ingredients:

1. Base
2. Aromatic Spices
3. Earthy Spices

In this recipe, we are going to use Red Chilies, Coriander Seeds & Cumin Seeds & Dry Desiccated Coconut as a base, fennel as an earthy ingredient and cardamom, black pepper, cloves, bay leaves cinnamon as aromatic ingredients and last we shall use turmeric powder & dried mango powder as flavor enhancers.

The composition is as follows:

 

Base	Quantity	Aromatic Spices	Quantity
Coriander Seeds	4Tbsp	Nutmeg	1 Piece
Cumin Seeds	2Tbsp	Cloves	1 Tsp
Red Chilies	5-10 Pieces	Cardamom	4 Pieces
Grated dry Coconut	2Tbsp	Cinnamon	2 Inch Stick
		Black Pepper	2Tbsp
For Earthyness	Quantity	Curry leaves	15-20
Fennel Seeds	2 Tbsp	Star Anise	4 Pieces
		Mace	2 Pieces

Procedure:

Once all the ingredients have been measured and assembled in the specified proportions, the process is fairly straightforward. Begin by dry roasting the spices in a pan, just enough to drive off any residual moisture. This step is essential, as dry roasting helps release the natural essential oils in the spices and makes them easier to grind.

Take care not to over-roast the spices. Excessive roasting causes the essential oils to evaporate, leaving you with a dull, dusty powder rather than a fragrant, flavour-packed masala.

If you are preparing a larger batch, it is best to dry roast each spice separately, as different spices release moisture and oils at different rates.

Alternatively, dry roasting can be done in a microwave at 900 watts for 120 seconds. Be sure to pause the microwave every 30 seconds to stir the spices evenly and prevent scorching.

Once roasted, allow the spices to cool completely at room temperature. This step is crucial—grinding warm spices can lead to condensation and loss of aroma. After cooling, grind the spices into a fine powder using a grinder with a minimum 600-watt motor to ensure uniform and efficient grinding.

Your Paav Bhaji Masala is now ready.

Pro Tips:

• Add a small pinch of salt to the whole spices before grinding. This helps reduce heat buildup during grinding and prevents the loss of essential oils.

• Mix turmeric powder and dried mango powder (amchur) into the ground masala after grinding, rather than roasting them.

• You may substitute whole dried red chilies with good-quality red chili powder, if preferred.

• Always store the freshly ground masala in an airtight container to preserve its aroma and freshness.