MDH masala: the face on every packet

If you grew up in a North Indian household, you know MDH without needing an introduction. The red and orange packet. The bearded face in the turban. Mahashay ji, looking out from every shelf and every kitchen cupboard across the country.

MDH, short for Mahashian Di Hatti, has been in Indian kitchens for generations. The company was founded in 1919 in Sialkot, in what is now Pakistan, by Mahashay Chunnilal Gulati. After Partition in 1947, his son Mahashay Dharampal Gulati moved to Delhi and rebuilt from scratch. He started with a small shop on Ajmal Khan Road in Karol Bagh, then opened a factory in Kirti Nagar in 1959. That factory became the base for one of India's most recognised spice brands.

Mahashay Dharampal's face became inseparable from the brand. He passed away on 3 December 2020 at the age of 98. For a lot of Indians, that felt personal. The brand is still there. The packets still have his face. But something shifted when he was gone.

MDH isn't just a spice brand. For a generation of North Indian cooks, it's a reference point. A packet of MDH garam masala doesn't taste like "a spice blend." It tastes like your mother's rajma, your grandmother's chole, a Sunday kitchen that smelled a certain way.

Why MDH cooks differently

MDH blends are built for North Indian cooking. The proportions are calibrated to that cuisine: the heavier use of whole spices, the layering of masalas into a base, the long simmering of dals and gravies. If you've tried a generic garam masala from a German supermarket and found it tasted flat, it's partly because it wasn't made with this cooking style in mind.

MDH has also been unusually consistent over the decades. The blend you grew up with is the blend you'll find here. That's not something you can take for granted when you're living 6,000 kilometres from the nearest kirana.

What we stock at Aahaar

We carry six MDH masalas right now. All 100g.

Garam masala

The one most people reach for without thinking. Goes into almost everything: the dal at the end of a tadka, the final sprinkle on a sabzi, the base of a korma. MDH Garam Masala is warm and rounded, not aggressive. If you've been making do without it, this is the one to restock first.

Chicken curry masala

A ready-mixed blend for chicken curries. Saves you the step of building the masala yourself. MDH Chicken Curry Masala works best when you fry the powder in oil for 30 to 40 seconds before adding tomatoes. That step releases the spices properly and stops the raw-powder taste. Good to have in the pantry for weeknights when you want a proper curry without measuring out seven different things.

Pani puri masala

If you make golgappa at home, this is the shortcut that actually works. Mix MDH Pani Puri Masala into tamarind water with some chaat masala, adjust the heat to your liking, and you're there. Finding this in Berlin used to require planning an entire trip to a specialist shop.

Sabji masala

Built for vegetable dishes. MDH Sabji Masala goes in with the vegetables themselves, not just at the end, so it's less a garnish and more a working part of the dish. Good with mixed veg, aloo gobi, or anything you'd normally season with a garam masala but want a slightly different note on.

Kashmiri chilli powder

For colour more than heat. MDH Kashmiri Chilli Powder gives curries and tandoori marinades that deep red without setting your mouth on fire. Swap it in wherever a recipe calls for chilli powder and you want the dish to look right without the extra spice.

Kitchen king

A catch-all blend for mixed vegetable curries and paneer dishes. MDH Kitchen King has a rounder, slightly sweeter profile than garam masala, closer to what you'd get at a North Indian restaurant. Useful on the nights you don't want to think about which three spices to combine.

Try these products

All six are in stock and deliver across Germany. Same day delivery in Berlin.

If you want to check whether a particular MDH blend is in stock or coming soon, message us on WhatsApp. We're easy to reach.