INDIAN BLACK SALT

Indian black salt is known as kala namak. (Kala means black. Namak is salt.) It is a delicious, sulphuric and curious salt which is comparable to chicken salt in terms of its deliciousness and slight umami quality. Kala namak is important in my spice kitchen because it enables me to punch texture into food while also adding depth and interest to the savoury quality of whatever salt with which I use it in combination: I always use kala namak with another salt. It doesn’t have enough sodium drive to operate on its own. Find out a little more about ratios for use below. These are salt quantities that I would use for a recipe to feed four people. The kala namak that I use is not the rock, but the finely ground powder. It looks like a green-ish purple.

KALA NAMAK USE RATIOS:

1. To soften kala namak’s sulphuric quality but keep its textural quality wide awake use 1/3 tsp of kala namak with 2/3 tsp of fine pink salt.

2. To lift kala namak’s sodium quality and blunt its texture use 1/3 tsp kala namak with 2/3 tsp of fine wine sea salt.

3. To use kala namak as a spice in fried foods that are coated in batter (think pakoras) pair 1/2 tsp kala namak with 2/3 tsp fine pink salt and 1/3 tsp fine white sea salt.

4. To add a savoury and delicious secret to your winter slow cooks, add 1/2 tsp kala namak on top of whatever usual salt and spice you combine.

5. To create interest with roasted vegetables sprinkle kala namak with sumac, black pepper, and fresh curry leaf finishing with a very subtle squeeze of lime.

6. To shake up your breakfast sprinkle a little kala namak on your avocado toast alongside fine pink salt, fine white pepper and cracked black pepper.