A few weeks back, we went to New York and visited cookbook author Priya Krishna at her home in Brooklyn to do some cooking. Priya had recently written a cookbook called Indian-ish, and we were thrilled to collaborate with her on a special 3-pack collection of spices made especially with her recipes in mind. Indian-ish is designed for people who want to make delicious Indian food but don't know where to start. Her book and our spices are a match made in heaven, as Priya makes the wonderful spices common in India that many people are afraid to play with completely accessible. On that note, we've put together a bundle you can buy right here, which includes her cookbook and our spice collection. So, get on it, and get cooking! ;)
This recipe is the perfect place to start for those that are just getting their feet wet with Indian-ish food, as it simply consists of toast with tomatoes, melted cheese, and some Chaat Masala sprinkled on top. But what a revelation it is! We're calling it now, Chaat Masala is going to be your new little party trick you pull out to wow your friends. And what is Chaat Masala you ask? Hugely popular in India, it provides a funky umami and saltiness to food that is irreplaceable. It's one of the most popular spice blends in India, most often utilized in "chaat" and Indian street food, but found in all sorts of dishes. It can vary depending on who makes it, but common ingredients are: amchoor (dried mango powder), black salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, ginger, mint, ajwain (similar to caraway or fennel), and hing. These are the ingredients we use for our blend and it is superb.
So, check out the full recipe below, taken directly from Indian-ish, and then scroll down to watch the video of Priya and our very own Meherwan Irani (founder and chef of Chai Pani/Spicewalla) putting it together and very much enjoying it.