Watch out for the salt in the masala. Some are saltier than others. Probably not that big a deal as this is used in marinades though. Not like it’s all getting into the final dish. It also takes an oddball ingredient But that’s a little over the top. Even for tandoori paste. So I did the next best thing. I figured out the recipe. And I’m sharing it here. Tandoori paste takes a few simple ingredients Citric acid powder specifically. It goes by citric acid. Or lemon salt. Or sour salt. But the ingredients on the label are what will guide you. It needs to say citric acid there.

This recipe is not totally authentic, but it is full of flavor. And it is easy, too! You probably don’t own a tandoor, but you can cook it in the oven, on the grill, or even in your air fryer. What is tandoori ? So when I heard, I decided to do something about it. I thought about a protest march. Outside the Patak UK office. Tens of thousands of tandoori and tikka lovers descending. They wouldn’t know what hit them. Epic. There’s a lot of tamarind flavour in Patak’s version. Tamarind paste works well. You don’t want a sweetened tamarind sauce. Some sort of flatbread is a must as far as I am concerned. Serve it with Garlic Naan, roti, or paratha. Basmati rice and steamed or sautéed vegetables make great side dishes. Whole-milk plain yogurt (you can use Greek yogurt, but I prefer the creamier European style yogurt here)

Kashmiri Masala Spice Paste

The number one ingredient listed is ginger. So start with ginger paste. Just toss some ginger into a blender with some water and puree.

Look for the least amount of ingredients on the jar. Ideally you should see tamarind and water. Nothing else. This isn’t a bad thing to add to your arsenal anyway. For times when you don’t want the garlic in homemade ginger garlic paste. Homemade tandoori paste is easy to make. Just combine onion, garlic, ginger, and spices in a food processor.Give it a day in the fridge and it mellows a bit. Still fresh tasting. Just more balanced. If you are using it in tandoori marinade don’t worry about it. I also like to serve an herby sauce like Cilantro Mint Chutney or even my Spicy Yemenite Zhoug Sauce. There are many different recipes for tandoori paste. Most of them include garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper, and the spice mixture called garam masala. But if you are featuring it as a main ingredient in your tikka or tandoori maybe think about giving it a bit of time. Just one day and it all comes together nicely.