Roasted Cumin and Red Chili Powder is my pantry essential and favorite spice mix. It adds more intense flavors and aroma to the dishes than regular cumin seeds and red chili powder. It is super quick and easy to make at home.
I use this spice mix in lot of my recipes like Chana Paneer Madra , Rajma Madra, Puff Pastry Samosa, Sabudana Tikki, Chickpea and sprouted mung bean salad, Kanji, Paratha fillings, pani puri, raita, the list is never ending.
How to make roasted cumin and red chili powder
1 part of Dry Red Chili to 2 parts of Cumin Seeds.
Roast the cumin
In a skillet on low to medium heat, dry roast the cumin seeds until the seeds change color to darker brown and become fragrant, this will take around 5 minutes. Stir often for even roasting and to avoid burning the seeds. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and let them cool completely. Using a spice grinder, grind the roasted cumin to a fine powder. Pass it through a sieve and keep it aside.
NOTE: It is very important to do this on low to medium heat to avoid burning the cumin seeds because if the cumin seeds burn, they will taste bitter.
Roast the Kashmiri dry red chili
I love Kashmiri red chili because it gives a natural red color to the dishes and has very mild heat.
In a skillet on low heat, dry roast the red chili until the chili darkens in color, becomes crispy and become fragrant. This will take around 5 minutes. Stir often for even roasting and to avoid burning the chili. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and let them cool completely. Using a spice grinder, grind the roasted chili to a fine powder. Pass it through a sieve and keep it aside.
NOTE: If you are substituting the Kashmiri red chili with a high heat variety, reduce the quantity of chili accordingly to the taste.
Combine
Combine the roasted cumin and chili powder well and transfer to an airtight container.
How to store Roasted Cumin and Red Chili Powder
Store this spice mix in an airtight glass container. This will stay good for at least 6 months. Spices don’t really spoil or go bad but they can loose flavor and aroma overtime.
