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Chholey are to Amritsar, what Dal Makhni is to Delhi. Every corner has an eatery that will serve kulcha-chholey, matthi-chholey or their own version of the traditional, masala-spiked Amritsari chholey. In Amritsar, when a woman is not in the mood to cook, she’ll just order in some chholey to go with roti or rice and serve up a delightful meal. When guests are over, it’s chholey that are put on the table first. Then it’s only understandable that Amritsaris have perfected the art of cooking chholey.
Ammiji has her own recipes for chholey. There’s the curry that goes well with rice, or the dry, spicy version she makes to go with halwa-puri. Or there’s this semi-dry version that can be had with kulchas, matthis, rotis or even rice – and that version is our particular favorite. Dunk a plain kulcha in, top it with some chutney and raw onions, and you’re in foodie heaven. Or heap the chholey onto a crisp, thin matthi and there, heaven again. This recipe calls for a ground masala, which Ammiji makes herself. After much bantering, we got her to divulge the details of the masala, and here it is!
This masala will add spice to your chholey, and a whole lot of tang; and flavours, layers of flavours, that will make you lick your bowl clean.
How to Use: Boil chholey. Don’t keep too much water since this masala is best in a semi-wet, lipta hua gravy. You can add the masala directly to the boiled chholey and let it simmer for a while. Or if you want to make it Ammiji’s way, make a tadka of onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger, and add the masala to that before adding to the chholey. Let us know which way you prefer!
Add 1 tablespoon for about 100 gms of uncooked chickpeas.
Ingredients: Corainder, Cumin, Dry Mango, Caraway, Dry Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Black pepper, Fenugreek, Hing, Salt.
Contains no onion or garlic. This masala is ground at home, using premium spices. Contains salt, so check before adding more.
Weight: 200 gms
Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Good for: 6 months.
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Rs. 560.00
Rs. 649.00
70 years ago, a young, frightened and miserable girl got married to a near stranger in Amritsar. Her parents had fixed the match, and she hadn’t even seen the groom when she was handed over to him and his family. The fear abated when she plunged into the humdrum life of a housewife, but the misery didn’t go away entirely. Her husband was spending long days at work, and the household without him was not an overtly friendly place.
And as some of us are wont to do, that young girl – Rajinder Kaur – sought comfort in Chai. She wanted a reminder of the home she’d left behind; she wanted the fragrance of her childhood to comfort her when it seemed that it had all been a mere dream. But comfort was not to be found in the tea of her new house – it was a thick, overladen concoction, boiled till it was devoid of any delicacy of flavor, consumed without feeling by the rest of the family.
But the young bride was not ready to give up so easily. She made an illicit trip to Majith Mandi, the spice bazaar of Amritsar, and made random purchases. Back home, she experimented with different combinations of spices in her tea, futilely trying to capture the flavor of her childhood. She then asked her mother for her tea masala recipe, but somehow it didn’t taste the same when she made it in her new home. And then, Rajinder started cutting off ingredients from her list till she was left with a barebones recipe for chai masala. And her tea was transformed! She finally held in her hands a cup of tea that smelled of warmth and comfort and tasted like all her favorite daydreams.
Now, 70 years on, Rajinder Kaur’s grandchildren affectionately call her Ammiji. Beneath the indulgent yet firmly disciplined grandmotherly veneer, Ammiji, at heart, is a storyteller. She has a story for every occasion – sometimes embroidered at the edges and sometimes coming out as a one-liner. Birds, gurus, the city, her now-deceased husband, her children – nothing is immune to her when she’s in the mood for yarn-spinning. And from her grandchildren, none will listen to her stories with as much fascination and rapt attention as her eldest granddaughter will. This particular granddaughter had the distinction of being raised up partially by Ammiji and also the slightly dubious distinction of inheriting her storytelling genes.
She has also inherited Ammiji’s love affair with tea. The Chai Masala recipe that a young, lost and desperate girl came up with is now a family heirloom – a secret recipe that is being passed down quietly through the generations. This fragrant Chai Masala is the product that spearheaded Ammiji’s, and the one that gave her the idea of bringing Ammiji’s love to strangers.
You open the jar, and you’ll be instantly transported to a fragrant world where dreams are bathed in exotic spices. This secret recipe will transform your ordinary cuppa to one that you wouldn’t want to put down. Premium spices are handpicked and sorted to make a blend that’s not only fragrant and delicious but also healthy.
Try it out once. You won’t regret it.
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Rs. 280.00
Rs. 350.00
What’s a Punjabi without paranthas? There are paranthas made of leftover dal for breakfast, aloo paranthas made for lunch and plain paranthas made to go with the masala mutton at night. And what stays constant in all these paranthas are the spices used.
Ammiji makes her own special blend of parantha masala. Having a masala ready saves times when you’re mixing the stuffing for paranthas and perks up plain namak-ajwain paranthas too. That’s what Ammiji says and we take her word as gospel.
The spices and herbs for this special masala are individually sun-dried and then ground coarsely. The end result is fragrant and will elevate your paranthas to that irresistible level.
How to Use: Add to the stuffing for stuffed paranthas. Knead into dough for dal or methi paranthas. Sprinkle while folding plain paranthas. Top tandoori rotis with this masala too!
Ingredients: Coriander, Cumin, Caraway, Fenugreek, Black Pepper, Red Chilli, Dry Mango, Dry Ginger, Pomegranate seeds, Clove, Mace, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Salt.
Contains no onion or garlic. This masala is ground at home, using premium spices. Contains salt, so check before adding more.
Weight: 175 gms
Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Good for: 6 months.
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Rs. 295.00
Rs. 350.00
Ammiji likes her mirchi. She thinks bland food is the worst there is. She’s been known to spice up her plain raita with a spoonful of red chilli powder or add extra black pepper to her dal. For those who think she’s on the right track, here’s presenting a condiment that got the quickest nod of approval from her that we’ve ever got! 😉
Ammiji’s Bullet Mirchi is not a mere condiment – it’s a cross between a thecha, a dry powdered chutney or the sediment of a chilli oil. Red chillies are sun-dried at home and then stone-pounded with sun-dried garlic and peanuts with the aid of a little oil. There’s much deliciousness there. Also, much much fire. A quarter teaspoon is enough to have your socks rocking!
The first time we experimented with this recipe, we were literally blown away with the magic it added to our meals. Hence, the name. This is truly that blast you need to take your meals from the mundane to the oh-my-god-i-can’t-stop-eating level.
Works beautifully as a topping for snacks like vada pao, momos, grilled chicken, etc. Can also be added to marinades. Or we’ll tell you a secret – wrap it up in a parantha with a sabzi of your choice and watch the fire unfold!
Ingredients: Red Chilli, Garlic, Peanuts, Salt, Rock Salt, Curry Leaves, Mustard Oil.
Weight: 85 gms
Rs. 700.00
Chai is love. It warms up your hands and melts your heart. It calms you down and perks you up. It builds bonds, mends bridges and fuels conversations. It’s what wakes you up in the morning and revives you in the evening. It’s the comma to your work-day, the period to your meal. It’s the exclamation mark to a celebration, a question mark to a problem. Chai is love.
Ammiji’s much-appreciated range of Chai Masalas will make each cup of chai count. They will add a pinch of fragrance, a spoonful of comfort and a dash of good health to your regular tea. Each one of the four is formulated keeping in mind a different health goal and a different palate. Each one has a distinctively different aroma, taste and flavour.
The sampler box was created to help you decide which flavour of Chai Masala suits you best. We know a lot of you have trouble deciding which one to order. So you can start off with a small sampler portion of each, and decide for yourself which one you’ll stick to for a long, long time. (We say this because once you have chai with Ammiji’s Chai Masala, we know you’ll never go back to regular tea!) So try a different Chai Masala with every cup of tea and take your time deciding which one suits you most. Decide which one you’ll prefer for your morning cuppa and which one you’ll add to your post-meal pick-me-up. Decide which one brings you the most joy. You do you! :
The variants are:
Classic:
Ammiji’s chai masala as it was meant to be. Smooth, elegant, nostalgically fragrant. A promise in a jar. With strong tones of cinnamon, cardamom and star anise.
Immunity:
With added benefits of tulsi, brahmi and mulethi to give a daily boost to your immunity. The pungency of tulsi juxtaposed with the sweetness of mulethi. A protective hug in a jar.
Digestion:
Perfect for that evening cup. The sharpness of ginger and and the bite of long pepper make this apt for a strong cup of chai. Saunf adds to the digestive benefits provided by this blend. Fiery, yet subtle.
Vitality:
Invigorating and complex, this blend features Ashwagandha, that magical energy and stamina booster. Aided by Shatavari and Brahmi, this blend is the perfect revitalizing tonic.
Ammiji’s Chai Masalas are not only a must-have in your own kitchen. They make for the perfect gifts too. The elegant sampler box is sure to go down well with chai-lovers and chai-dabblers alike. Go on then, get one for yourself, and one for the person you love mostest. They deserve this and will thank you for it!
And once you’ve tried all four, let us know which one you liked best!
Ingredients
Classic: Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Star Anise
Immunity: Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Star Anise, Tulsi, Brahmi, Mulethi, Cloves
Digestion: Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Star Anise, Ginger, Pippli, Saunf
Vitality: Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Star Anise, Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Shatavari
How to Use:
Add a pinch of chai masala along with the tea-leaves while brewing your tea.
Some like a pinch of Classic but three pinches of Digestion. You’ll adjust the serving size to your taste as you use. 🙂
Contents
4 jars of Chai masala, 12 grams each.
Good For: 12 months
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Rs. 500.00
Rs. 550.00
Ammiji’s favorite way to cook rice was what she called the Navrattan Pulao. Each time a meal was served for guests, we knew that the pièce de resistance was going to be carried in, demoulded on to a lavish platter. It was a cake of three differently coloured rice studded with fried paneer cubes, peas, carrots and cashews. And it smelled like the best corner of heaven!
That aroma of her Navrattan Pulao is what we’ve captured in this unique spice blend. From the humble cumin to the exotic kopec buds, each ingredient in this blend is blessed with Ammiji’s nod of approval.
Add this masala to whatever biryani you’re cooking, and we promise that the neighbors will know that you’re cooking biryani. Add it to your peas pulao, and enjoy the sweetness of peas against the earthiness of the spices. We’ve even added this masala to the humble khichdi – and with excellent results!
To use: Add 1-2 teaspoons per cup of rice to your biryani or pulao.
Ingredients: Cumin, Coriander, Fennel, Black Cumin, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Bay Leaves, Red chilli, Nutmeg, Kebabchini, Mace, Brown Cardamom, Green Cardamom, Clove, Black pepper, Stone flower, Kopec buds, Rose petals, Dehydrated onion, Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Saffron
Good for 6 months: Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Weight: 90 gms
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Rs. 550.00
Rs. 599.00
Ammiji spends an hour or so in the kitchen every morning. She can’t stand straight because her back is bent, so she’ll perch upon a high wooden stool set directly in front of the stove, and set about making a dish or two for the day. Yes, she’s 90 but she cooks her own sabzis. When you offer to help her out in the kitchen, she’ll grudgingly let you, but only up till a point. When her sabzi or dal is almost ready, she’ll shoo you out on some pretext or the other, and proceed to turn the ordinary dish into one that’s really not ordinary.
It took us a while to catch on to her secret. A lot of failed conversations, a few grudging admissions and a whole lot of argument led us to wrangle the recipe out of her. And once made, we had the most fragrant spice blend imaginable. Was it a garam masala? Ammiji said it was. But this was no ordinary garam masala. It was garam and it was a masala, but we could have added a few superlatives in there.
A pinch of this extraordinary masala is all you need to make your dish sublime. This is rather unlike the garam masalas available in the market where you have to add at least half a teaspoon. This tiny jar will last you a long time. And we promise, you’ll be wanting another one when the jar threatens to be empty.
Ammiji’s garam masala is addictive. Whoever has used it has kept on using it. A caterer friend uses the masala in the dishes he sets up for events and parties, and he’s so happy with the result that he orders this by the kilo. Go ahead, see what the fuss is all about.
Ingredients: Cumin, Cinnamon, Piper Longum, Coriander, Black Cardamom, Clove, Star Anise, Stone Flower, Green Cardamom, Mace, Ginger, Red Chilli, Nutmeg, Rock Salt.
We use only top-notch, premium spices for all our spice blends. This is homemade in small batches and packed at home. No one outside Ammiji’s family is allowed to touch the garam masala when it’s being made – it’s that precious…
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Rs. 500.00
Rs. 599.00
What’s the first thing you grab when you wake up – a cup of tea? Make your first cup of tea count with Ammiji’s pinch of immunity. With the benefits of tulsi, mulethi and brahmi, this is that tonic you need daily.
Everything that we need to build up a healthy and strong immune system resides in our gardens and kitchens. Herbs and spices are a powerhouse of essential nutrients that react in wonderful ways inside our bodies. Here, we have taken the best of herbs, added a few magical spices and come up with the curative avatar of Ammiji’s chai masala. A pinch in your daily cuppa will be your daily immunity booster!
Tulsi or holy basil is that quintessential herb that all of us have in our gardens. It has terrific anti-inflammatory properties and works to reduce inflammation in complicated diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease. It’s a powerful weapon against the common cold and flu. It gently works to build up your resistance to ailments.
Brahmi is the herb of the sages – accredited for supplying them with wisdom, longevity and health. It works to fight a number of diseases and has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. It is a rich source of antioxidants.
Mulethi or licorice root is well-known for keeping the respiratory tract healthy. It is anti-inflammatory and boosts immunity and digestion both. It also eases menopausal symptoms in women.
These three herbs along with our base of spices gives this chai masala a distinct earthy flavor. Add a pinch to your daily cuppa, breathe in the terrific fragrance and rest assured that your body is well taken care of.
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Rs. 500.00
Rs. 599.00
We’ve come full circle when it comes to health and what we use to ensure that we maintain good health. The ancient wisdom of Ayurveda advises us to look to the kitchen to keep our body free of small ailments. We seem to have forgotten this for some time, but we’re back where we started and increasingly leaning towards using natural healing that originates in our kitchens.
And Ammiji’s firmly believes in natural healing for small ailments that nag us on a daily basis. That’s why our range of chai masalas target a sense of wellbeing. Because what is chai if not comfort and wellbeing?
Ammiji’s Digestion Chai Masala contains ginger, saunf and pipli along with the base spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Adding a couple of pinches to your after-meal cuppa will ensure that your digestive system is working in top gear!