Hong Kong and Singapore have banned the use of spices from Indian-origin brands MDH and Everest. Spice mixes like Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder, and Curry Powder have been banned in both the countries.
However fret not, with a few ingredients and a few minutes on your hands, you can easily make sambhar masala at home. Here is a simple recipe!
Sambar is a popular dish from South Indian dish that is popular across the Indian subcontinent. To make sambhar powder, start by roasting 1/2 cup coriander seeds. Next roast 1/4 cup toor dal and 2 tbsp chana dal roast till aromatic and golden.
After this take 1 tbsp Fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp cumin and asafoetida 1 tsp. Saute well. Finally, add turmeric powder 1 tsp.
For colour, take 1 cup of red chilli with 4 Kashmiri chilli for colour. Roast and keep them aside. You can keep everything in sunlight for 2-3 days before grinding it. Your delicious homemade sambhar powder is now ready!
The Centre For Food Safety of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region announced on April 5 that a routine surveillance has revealed that three spice mixes from MDH group - Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder, and Curry Powder have the presence of ethylene oxide. The chemical poses serious health concerns including an elevated risk of breast cancer.
Also watch: Hong Kong bans MDH, Everest spices a week after Singapore, cites presence of carcinogenic substances