Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Spice mixtures / Dhansak Masala

Dhansak Masala

VegetarianOrigin GujaratPrep 15 minutesMakes about 125g / 4¼oz

An intensely aromatic spice blend with smoky, bitter, and warm notes, used to season traditional lentil and meat dhansak dishes.

Dhansak masala

135 gGround together in step 1
01
Fenugreek seed · Methi Dana
45 g
spice
02
Clove · Laung
45 g
spice
03
Black cardamom pod · Badi Elaichi
45 g
spice
Pound or grind to a fine powder and sift.

Method

  1. Pound the dhansak masala (45 g fenugreek seeds, 45 g clove, and 45 g black cardamom pod) with a pestle and mortar to a fine powder.
  2. Pass the ground spices through a fine sieve to catch any fibrous bits, then transfer the powder to a dry, sterilised, airtight container.

Don't have something?

Fenugreek seed
  • Mustard seed

    Use 50% of the weight, crush or grind. Sharper heat and less maple-bitter; fry briefly in oil before adding.

  • Caraway seeds

    Use the same weight, crush lightly. Similar bitter-seed note but more aniseed; reduce other sweet spices slightly.

  • Ajwain seeds

    Use 25–30% of the weight, crush. Much stronger thyme-like flavour; do not overdo.

Clove
  • Ground cloves

    Use 1 g ground for 4 g whole (or 1 small pinch per 2 to 3 whole cloves). Add with spice powders; disperses intense warmth quickly, so use with restraint.

  • Allspice berries

    Use 100% of the weight whole in tempering. Imparts a warm, clove-like aromatic profile combined with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.

  • Black cardamom pod

    Use 1 pod for 3 to 4 cloves in whole tempering. Shares a camphor-like warmth and medicinal depth, though it introduces a distinct smoky undertone.

Black cardamom pod
  • Ground black cardamom

    Use 0.5 g of ground seeds for each whole pod. Stir directly into the curry base; delivers identical smoky flavour without woody husks.

  • Green cardamom pod

    Use equal pod count or weight. Crack slightly and fry whole; tastes sweet, menthol-fresh, and floral rather than dark and smoky.

Similar spice mixtures

Garam Masala Kashmiri
Kashmiri Garam Masala
It tastes sweeter and more complexly spiced from the aniseed and sweet aromatics, whereas this dish is much more bitter, clove-heavy, and smoky.
  • Same: Garam Masala Kashmiri shares black cardamom pods, cloves, and fenugreek seeds with this dish.
  • Different: Unlike this three-spice blend, it adds cumin seeds, aniseed, green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, mace, and nutmeg.
Garam Masala (Thali)
Hot Spice Mix
Garam Masala tastes peppery and sweetly resinous with strong cardamom and clove, while this dish tastes smoky, bitter, and warm from fenugreek and black cardamom.
  • Same: Garam Masala shares clove and black cardamom with this dish, and both are aromatic spice blends used to season Indian dishes.
  • Different: Garam Masala also contains cassia or cinnamon, coriander seeds, green cardamom, and black peppercorns, while this dish contains only fenugreek seed, clove, and black cardamom; Garam Masala is toasted and ground, while this dish is given only as a blend.
Garam Masala
Garam Masala tastes peppery, citrusy, and sweetly spicy, while this dish is smoky, bitter, and warmly aromatic from fenugreek and black cardamom.
  • Same: Garam Masala shares clove and black cardamom with this dish, so both are warm and aromatic.
  • Different: Garam Masala adds cassia, coriander, green cardamom, and black pepper, while it lacks this dish's fenugreek; it is toasted and ground, whereas this dish is defined by fenugreek, clove, and black cardamom.
Dum ka Masala
Spice Mixture for Dum Dishes
Dum ka Masala has a sweeter, sharper, and more herbal profile from fennel and ginger, lacking the deep bitterness and heavy clove heat of this dish.
  • Same: Dum ka Masala shares the use of smoky black cardamom pods with this dish.
  • Different: Dum ka Masala adds fennel seeds, ground ginger, and green cardamom pods, while omitting the fenugreek seeds and cloves used in this dish.