Somehow using the packet masala’s like Shan mix or any others , is looked down upon .. speaking to most people they say they use fresh masala’s , yet , Shan or National Spice mix packs will most certainly be found in their cupboards..
Question is if someone is using these boxed masala’s in their cooking , does that mean their cooking is not good enough? specially compared to those who use fresh ingredients only..
Do you use these boxed spice mix’s? why do you use them?
Yes I use and you will find a whole bunch in my cupboards. However, I
Never use the whole box. I probably use one box 10 to 12 if not more. I just use it as a flavor enhancer. I
Always put fresh masala and use 1 tsp of the packet masala. Yes , many ppl will say that they don't use masala mix but it is half truth usually.
On the hand some ppl will use the whole packet . I don't my stomachwill be able tolerate this.
Re: Using Packet Masala’s ? why?
How is non boxed masala fresher than non boxed one. 
Was the non boxed harvested today and boxed one was harvested yesterday.
The haldi , dhania , kali mirch , laal mirch , loung etc etc used separately vs those sold as mixed masala in packet are not fresher. Shelf life of boxed masala is more because it is packaged more hygienically than its standalone cousins.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
My nani hated using boxed masalas.
My mom uses them as shortcuts when she is pressed for time and that too only when she has a lot of food to make.
I guess I grew up thinking its better to use ghar ka masala rather than boxed.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
so the fresh masala, do you guys go pluck the stuff from trees and such? coz if its still store-bought spices, vut is the diffrans really?
Re: Using Packet Masala’s ? why?
I use boxed masalas for biryani , nihari , kunna , qorma …considering my little experience in cooking these boxed masalas help me in saving time and getting good results :k:
However for other dishes like daal , pulao , black pepper powder , aloo bhaji , chicken handi etc etc I make use of separate masals like lal mirch poder , haldi , zeera , kutti lal mirch etc etc which again come in boxes 
we make garam masala at home though through different whole masalas 
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
yes i use them.............. i heard ppl say tht they all taste same but whatever my biryani qorma n jalferazi r incomplete wthout these maslas :)
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
My mum was always against them but then she's quite fussy about the quality of her spices. Recently, she does have a few shan masalas that she may add to her own mixture. I think it's basically that no one in our family has ever really like the 'restaurant' flavour and my mum likes to have control over the flavour and composition.
I think it's just whatever you are used to. My mum's biryani masala is a bit different to the typical taste but we all prefer it.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
so the fresh masala, do you guys go pluck the stuff from trees and such? coz if its still store-bought spices, vut is the diffrans really?
Exactly , that's what I am saying. Desi ,as my mother used to say , her cheez main apna kulla sub say oncha rakhnay chanta hay.
Some folks would go to any length to prove that they are superior than others. :@:
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
nothing wrong with using box masala...sure if you have plenty of time to do cooking then yea go for your own home made masalas. In the end if it saves time and does not make a whole lot of difference in flavour then it's all worth it.....box masalas all the way !! . SOme people mix and match by adding some of their own spices which is also great idea.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
I use box masala because it has the recipe on it :D
like someone else said above, I use it like 10 times even if the recipe requires the use of the whole packet!
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
For big dishes like haleem, Nihari, Biryani etc we use box masala's and always have TBH. They taste just as nice as normal food cooked with 'home' masala's. I dont find any difference in them at all! They make life so much easier!
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
I use box masalas for some things (biryani, bihari kebob, jalfrezi), and then for others I use my own masala. I dont think there is anything wrong with using the boxed masalas. When I first started cooking, I had to use the boxes, because I was completely on my own and didnt know how to really cook. After using the boxed masalas for a month, I started to learn how to use my own masalas.
My mom uses them sometimes, or she adds her own masala to the boxed mixes as well, so I never thought there was anything wrong with it. I think whatever a person is comfortable with, they should do that. Dont let pretentious people get to you, just cause you use box mixes.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
so the fresh masala, do you guys go pluck the stuff from trees and such? coz if its still store-bought spices, vut is the diffrans really?
When CB said box masala, she meant pre-mixed (with recipe printed at the back) - as oppose to individual boxes where you pick and chose your own ingredients/ratio according to your own recipe.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
I do use Shaan masala for things like nihari, haleem and biryani. But in my regular cooking of Salan and kababs I use my own.
However, I can attest that if you grind your own gram masala vs use prepackged, there is definitely a difference. Spice like cloves, black pepper and cinnamon have essential oils which are released when your grind them. It is better to use grounded masala in couple of days as oils are still fresh and aromatic. A little masala will go along way if grind freshly. That is why freshly ground pepper is so heavenly and you can never get the same taste from the packet one.Same goes for fresh ginger garlic paste vs the store bought. I hate that stuff in particular.
That's why I think people who have made khanay from freshly grounded masalas can never be satisfied with the prepackged ones. In yester years people use to grind their own haldi and red pepper as well and I have heared from my grandma that it tasted a lot better and they did not need as much to get the taste.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
^ Ive never herad of haldi being grinded.....interesting!
I think Shan/National/etc are great ways to help you cook. and for those who don't cook desi foods very often, they take up less space and cost less too...
the only thing I dont' like about prepackaged masalas is that they almost always include whole spices..my husband hates seeing clove/zeera/etc in his food so I have to grind the shan masalas anyway.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
I use Shan masalas for nihari, chicken karahi, and when I make chicken biryani. But like others have said, I add my own spices and just use the Shan masala to enhance the flavor.
Re: Using Packet Masala’s ? why?
Absoluely correct… the thing is we all use Pre-mixed Masala’s for reasons of our own for example:
we may not have all the ingredients at home , hence its easier to buy a packet that has all the spices rquired OR its pre-mixed so you cant possibly go wrong with the ratio’s of spices while cooking etc etc
I am thinking, those cooks who expertly get the ratio’s of spices right and dont need to use any pre-mixed spices, they should be given some credit at least for being talented , coz its not everyone’s cup of tea to be able to do a dish perfectly.. if they are doing it , clearly they are experts.
But then again, Pre-mixed spices have a very special place in our cooking. Most people are becoming more and more dependent on them. I guess I am just against the lying bit .. when you are using Shan masala’s why lie about it .. you may have your own very justifiable reason , you dont have to feel at competition with those who dont like using those boxed masala’s .. hai na 
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
When I cook food (that is very rare), I use pre-mixed masalas as individual and mix many pre-mixed to get my own taste. Its very common for me to make my Daal, using Daal mix and Karahi-Gosht mix. Similar when I am making some kind of bhuna gosht.
Re: Using Packet Masala's ? why?
Personally I dislike using Pre-mixed masala's, yet, i have got a few of them in my cupboard and I use them coz :