Pav Bhaji Masala Powder

I'm old school when it comes to cooking,I still believe in making my own spice mixes and preserves at home.After living for almost 10 years away from India ,in a small city with a tiny Asian shop,I felt outdated when I looked at the products stocked on the shelves of the Indian shop here,I felt like someone who was returning back home after years in exile.The market is flooded with products ,there seems to be a ready mix and spice powder for every dish.As much as I'd agree that it would make the job of a busy person easy,I still strongly believe that nothing beats the flavours that a homemade spice mix infuses in a dish.I remember going as a kid along with my mother to the big Grain Mills to grind rice flour and spice powder.It used to be one of those sultry places with the smell of spice powders clinging heavily in the air. There are few of those mills left around now with many people opting for ready made stuff.My mom still grinds her powders in these mills and packs me with them when I visit her.Despite being a working mother she still found or made time for these little chores because she strongly believes, that these things which appear to be trivial actually play an important  role in our health.So anything ready made was very rare in our house ,just like eating out :) I usually stock a little of this spice powder in my cupboard,I love sprinkling a pinch of it in many quick dishes.I make it in small batches to keep the flavour fresh.So off to the recipe !

You'll Need:

Recipe Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor

Armchoor Powder/Dry Mango Powder  - 3 Tbsp

Whole Pepper Corns - 1 tsp

Whole red Chilli - 20 - 25

Cumin Seeds -  4 tbsp

Cinnamon sticks - 10 ( each 3 cm)

Salt - 2 tsp

Black Salt - 1/4 tsp

Cloves - 40 - 50

Curry leaves - 10 - 12

Bay Leaves - 4

Fennel Seeds - 2 tbsp

Salt - 2 tsp

Method:

-In a pan on low heat,dry roast the ingredients either one after the other separately or together until they release a nice aroma,Make sure that they don't get burnt.

-Let them cool and grind to a fine powder
-Store in an airtight container

Thanks for Stopping by ! Happy Cooking !