Trying New Things.

When we first moved to Tucson and discovered our incredibly large Asian/international grocery, it quickly became one of our regular outings, even if we didn’t need anything. It was an opportunity for us to peruse unfamiliar items and ingredients, many without English labels. Trying new things became a fun weekly activity.

One particular item that appealed to Mark, as he had recently given up drinking tea, was the milk masala. It is a small jar of aromatic ingredients to mix with hot milk and sip at leisure on chilly evenings. This Indian treat quickly became his breakfast favorite, only to disappear off the shelves soon thereafter.

This wasn’t a problem with the internet at our fingertips — I pulled together several recipes and eventually created my own blend, which is quite good and perfect for this recipe. If you cannot find commercial milk masala powder, my recipe is below.

Recently, I decided it would make a lovely flavoring for a chicken curry with green beans. All it needed was a shallot, cream, and coconut milk to make a perfectly addictive sauce. It has quickly become a new favorite of ours, and I hope you will feel the same.

~ David

39 Comments

  1. Edna Meza Aguirre

    February 17, 2024 at 4:18 am

    Yum! looking forward to trying David!

    Reply
  2. Susan Manfull

    February 17, 2024 at 6:45 am

    The aromas are wafting from the screen! Yum!

    Reply
  3. Mad Dog

    February 17, 2024 at 7:54 am

    Wow, that’s incredibly interesting. There are old Catalan/Moorish recipes which bear a similarty to this, albeit with the rice and chicken cooked in the same pot. No doubt there will be similar Moroccan ones too. I bet it’s delicious!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 17, 2024 at 9:10 am

      I think the coconut milk might be what sets these apart, Mad Dog — at least I’ve never seen a Moroccan dish with it, nor any in Spain.

      Reply
  4. Barb

    February 17, 2024 at 8:27 am

    Very interesting dish and back story. I had never heard of Milk Masala but your recipe sounds very tasty!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 17, 2024 at 9:09 am

      It’s really so different from what most Indian restaurants serve — at least here!

      Reply
  5. Carolyn J Niethammer

    February 17, 2024 at 8:31 am

    Gorgeous photos. And an interesting departure from the usual ginger/coriander/turmeric mixes.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 17, 2024 at 9:08 am

      Thanks, Carolyn. Dishes like this are rare in India, and they are often considered for very special occasions.

      Reply
  6. Eha Carr

    February 17, 2024 at 3:14 pm

    Exciting! had heard of milk masala but never come up against it! Like the look an of the dish and in spite of my dislike of using cream shall definitely try! Absolutely love the background cloth used in your photography . . . a ‘whitish’ dish is hardly easy to make into an exciting photo !!!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 17, 2024 at 10:35 pm

      I do wonder if you could use all coconut milk instead of the combination of cream and coconut milk. It might work! It might not thicken as much, but it would still be really tasty.

      I was just having a discussion with another food blogger about how difficult it is to photograph white and beige food and make them look palatable if not very good! So a special thank you for noticing. The china, silverware and fabrics all make such a huge difference.

      Reply
  7. angiesrecipes

    February 17, 2024 at 9:20 pm

    A very different Masala chicken..and it surely looks very tasty and flavourful, David.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 17, 2024 at 10:36 pm

      Thanks, Angie. The flavors of the milk masala works so perfectly with the chicken, coconut, milk, and cream. It’s quite addictive!

      Reply
  8. Mimi Rippee

    February 18, 2024 at 8:14 am

    Oh my god i need to taste that curry! What fabulous flavors. The masala mix is very interesting – I swear it’s what I used to get at a coffee shop during college. But they called it chai. I’ve since had chai (probably at Starbuck’s although I have only been a handful of times) and it was sweet and disgusting. Nothing like what I remember. But I think this is it!!!! So smart to use in a curry!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 22, 2024 at 10:06 am

      I’ve never had chai because I won’t touch tea. Do maybe it is similar? I think of chai as more spice forward — this is really nutty. I love it.

      Reply
  9. Ronit

    February 18, 2024 at 2:51 pm

    Milk masala powder is new to me, but very intriguing. Having it at hand is a great way to improvise with.
    Great idea, to use it in this dish. I’ll definitely copycat it! 🙂

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 22, 2024 at 10:06 am

      I know you will love it — and it’s nice to have two ways to use it: my chicken and as a beverage!

      Reply
  10. Christina Conte

    February 18, 2024 at 9:28 pm

    This looks and sounds SO good, I may just have to try it, David! Luckily I can use nuts again since my daughter has moved to NYC (not lucky that she’s gone so far away, though!) Sounds like a splendid meal for a cosy dinner in!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 22, 2024 at 10:07 am

      Well, that is a good/bad situation! Though I’m so glad you can have nuts again! I think you will love the subtle flavors in this.

      Reply
  11. sherry

    February 19, 2024 at 1:26 am

    this all sounds amazing David. I like the milk masala powder and must give it a go. I like to visit our local japanese store and hunt around for items which have no english on them. Always fun!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 22, 2024 at 10:08 am

      It is always such a fun adventure shopping in international groceries whether at home or abroad.

      Reply
  12. Gerlinde de Broekert

    February 20, 2024 at 3:24 pm

    This sounds wonderful David. I have never heard of milk masala powder. It’s fun to learn something new when reading your post.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 22, 2024 at 10:08 am

      Thanks, Gerlinde — it’s a nice combination and goes so well with the chicken!

      Reply
  13. Velva-Evening With A Sandwich

    February 20, 2024 at 5:30 pm

    David, this is a fantastic dish. Milk Masala Powder is new to me but, I can see why it would make a delicious sipping milk ( morning, afternoon or evening). I love cardamom so can imagine the taste and scent too.

    Beautiful entree using the milk masala powder.

    Best,
    Velva

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 22, 2024 at 10:09 am

      Thanks, Velva — Mark loved to drink it and I enjoy making the powder and using it in different ways!

      Reply
  14. Jeff the Chef

    February 22, 2024 at 8:04 am

    This sounds deicious! I’m curious about that masala milk powder. So, some of the ingredients won’t dissolve, I’m guessing. So the milk, if you drink it that way, has a bit of texture? Or does some sediment settle on the bottom?

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      February 22, 2024 at 10:11 am

      Yes, it is a bit gritty, Jeff, and it all depends on how finely you grind the masala. You can also purée the hot milk once the masala has been added and that smoothies it out a bit, too.

      Reply
  15. Frank | Memorie di Angelina

    February 23, 2024 at 9:46 am

    I’m a big fan of Asian supermarkets, too. Every trip is a culinary adventure! We’re fortunately to have several in our area, including two massive ones, one Chinese and the other Korean. Aside from the “exotic” ingredients they also have excellent produce, meats and seafood. I can often find products there for my Italian recipes that you can’t find in “mainstream” supermarkets. And the best part is they’re both quite inexpensive so I can save on groceries.

    Reply
  16. Raymund

    February 27, 2024 at 5:36 pm

    It sounds like your journey through the Asian grocer in Tucson was a delightful adventure! Discovering new ingredients and flavors must have been so exciting, thats what I love with travelling, I always find new and exciting things in the supermarket or even wet markets.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      March 9, 2024 at 9:22 am

      Your recipes keep me going to the Asian store all the time! Half of the time I can’t find ingredients you mention, but it’s mostly because I can’t read the languages on the ingredients.

      Reply
  17. Marcelle

    February 28, 2024 at 8:08 am

    I’ve never heard of milk masala, but now that I know it’s a thing I want to try it. It looks flavorful and exciting!! 🙂 I love looking around foreign markets too. Since we moved out to the sticks, I hardly make the effort to go. I think I need to drive into the city this weekend 🙂

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      March 9, 2024 at 9:21 am

      When we first plan to move to Tucson, we wanted to live out in the middle of the desert. Then I realized, how difficult shopping would be (and how many rattlesnakes there would be) so living in the city makes much more sense for us. But, your home is beautiful and I know you’re really happy out there. There are always pluses and minuses for each, and I’m sure you made the right decision.

      Reply
  18. Ben | Havocinthekitchen

    March 1, 2024 at 3:59 pm

    I have not heard of milk masala mixture until this post – but oh my goodness, it seems that I’ve been missing out a lot! Nuts and my favourite cardamom? I’ve got to make it, too! And this chicken looks and sounds utterly delicious – I think it was a genius idea to pair chicken and milk masala powder in one dish.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      March 9, 2024 at 9:19 am

      Nuts and cardamom are a wonderful combination, Ben. Since Mark stopped drinking the milk masala, we had lots of it left over and I wanted to make something with it.

      Reply
  19. Valentina

    March 3, 2024 at 11:42 am

    David, this sounds incredible. At first I thought it might be like a chai blend of sorts, and then I read the ingredient list. The combination of nuts is delicious and cardamom is one of my favorite spices ever. I love the idea of combining it with the chicken and beans. I’m in! Your rice looks particularly light and fluffy, to boot. 🙂 ~Valentina

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      March 9, 2024 at 9:06 am

      Someone said it sounds like chai, but (not ever having had chai or tea of any kind) I looked up the blend and, as you found, it is very different. The nuts really add a lovely creaminess to this dish. As for the rice? I credit my rice maker… it has literally saved our marriage!

      Reply
  20. 2pots2cook

    March 8, 2024 at 7:31 am

    Never had milk masala; thank you for an interesting recipe ! Must do!

    Reply

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