I came across a recipe for Jatpat Aloo that called for kitchen king masala. Now, where could I possibly buy that in rural Andalucía? Nowhere, obviously. So I did what any sensible person would do — I asked Amit, my Indian friend who lives in Indore, if his wife knew an authentic version.

She did. Of course she did.

Kitchen king masala recipe — from Amit's wife in Indore to Casa Adora – The Flexible Chef

Amazingly, I had every single ingredient already in the spice store. I should open a shop.

Kitchen king masala is one of those blends that rewards a generous spice collection — it calls for eighteen ingredients including Bengal gram, mace, black cardamom and star anise. There are apparently more versions than you can shake a stick at, but this one comes from a kitchen in Indore and has earned its place in the Casa Adora spice cupboard ever since.

The Kitchen King Masala Recipe

Makes approximately 60g — enough for several dishes. Amit's wife's original recipe makes a much larger quantity; this is already cut to roughly half.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp Bengal gram — dried yellow lentils blitzed to a powder, or blitzed chickpeas
• ½ tbsp caraway seeds
• ½ tbsp whole yellow mustard seeds
• ½ tbsp dry ginger
• ½ tbsp black peppercorns
• ½ tbsp rock salt
• 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 8 dried red chillies
• 8 cloves
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 3 black cardamom pods
• 4 pieces cassia bark, roughly 1 inch each
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 small pieces mace
• 1 star anise

Method

1. Dry roast all the whole spices one by one in a dry pan over a medium heat until fragrant. Don't rush and don't burn them. Leave to cool completely.
2. Grind everything to a smooth powder in a spice grinder. The Wahl grinder handles this well — it's been doing this job since 2012.
3. Sieve the powder — the masala must be smooth. Return any coarse pieces to the grinder and repeat.
4. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place. Use within 3 months for best flavour.

A note on Bengal gram

Bengal gram is dried yellow lentils blitzed to a powder – or blitzed chickpeas, depending on who you ask. Either works. Blitz them separately before adding to the grinder with the toasted spices.

Footnote This Kitchen King Masala recipe is part of my Curry Recipes collection — the complete guide to curries, spice blends, bases, chutneys and sides from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full Curry Recipes hub.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef