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Recipe for Pan Masala: A Versatile and Customizable Blend of Herbs and Spices



These sweet little cookies are such a great after-dinner sweet to pair with coffee or tea. As paan masala or mukhwas is usually an after-dinner treat, these cookies take that classic ritual to the next level.


Pan masala (PM) is a mixture of areca nut with slaked lime, catechu and other flavoring agents. It is widely available and used by all the sections of the Indian society. It is genotoxic as it increases sister chromatin exchange and chromatin aberrations. Among humans, it is a leading cause of oral submucous fibrosis that often progresses to oral cancer. Among experimental animals, it leads to neoplastic lesions in lung, liver and stomach. It is hepatotoxic leading to increased level of enzymes, deranged carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. It is harmful to kidneys and testes leading to increased creatinine and sperm deformities respectively. PM is a very harmful substance affecting almost all organ systems, and there is immediate need for a national policy on complete ban on the production, storage, sale and marketing of PM.




recipe for pan masala




Pan masala is a mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices which is served after meals in India. Various versions are also served in the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia, where they are treated as mouth fresheners. Some households and restaurants make their own mixtures with special house ingredients, and it is also possible to purchase packaged pan masala from spice stores and many markets in India. Outside of India, it is available at Indian specialty stores and through importers.


The ingredients in pan masala vary widely, depending on personal taste and region. Fennel seeds are often a key ingredients, since they tend to leave the mouth with a fresh feeling, and it is also possible to find cinnamon, cardamom, lime, menthol, areca nuts, betel nuts, and various other ingredients. When chewed, the ingredients help to freshen the breath, and they are also said to aid digestion, which can be very useful after eating ferociously spicy food that might upset the stomach.


The tradition of chewing breath fresheners after meals is ancient, and it has a very long history in India in particular. In eras before regular dental hygiene, things like pan masala helped to keep the breath fresh and to support dental health. Some mixtures even have herbs and spices with antibacterial properties which benefit oral health, and it also sometimes includes stimulant herbs to give people energy after eating.


One version of pan masala, guthka, includes tobacco, which may be flavored or treated with various additives. This has led to concern in many communities, where people do not want children consuming tobacco. In addition, chewing tobacco has been linked with various cancers. As a result, sales are restricted or banned in some regions, and there is some confusion about pan masala, with some people dismissing all mixtures as unhealthy, while others distinguish between those with tobacco and without it.


It is a good idea to read the ingredient list in pan masala, not only to check for tobacco, but to look for other ingredients. For people with nut allergies or sensitivities to certain herbs and spices, the mix can be a minefield, as the ingredients are so varied. Some people prefer to make their own mixtures for this reason, ensuring that the product is safe and pleasant to chew.


  • How do you use this. Are you supposed to swallow it or spit like chewing tobacco? anon263020 April 23, 2012 Personally I thoroughly enjoy the Pan Masala with tobacco in it. It provides a nice, uplifting experience as well as freshening the breath. Tobacco is a gift and it may as well be used in moderation. anon182787 June 2, 2011 p.s. I believe the only use of betel nut (above 15 percent) and tobacco is for marketing based on addiction and has nothing to do with being useful physiologically or for taste. anon182785 June 2, 2011 I've enjoyed having pan masala after meals since I was 13. most Indians know that the betel nut/Mg Carbonate/ tobacco containing pan masala have been associated with detrimental health issues. So now we simply make them at home! Fennel, cardamon, watermelon seeds, spices, sugar and natural extract flavors make an awesome, exotic healthy pan masala. All dried ingredients used and properly powdered. mix this powder with some fennel seeds and serve! anon169591 April 22, 2011 Paan is usually eaten with areca nuts (betel nuts), which is a proven carcinogen. They also add Calcium Hydroxide, slaked lime, to it. (I am not sure if the Ca(OH) is actually harmful, since it is used as a calcium supplement in baby formulas. Pan, without areca nuts, and tobacco along with pan masalas, that do not contain the above is both tasty and has digestive properties. roxytalks February 12, 2011 Other than tobacco, are there any ingredients that are used for pan masala that may be harmful -- aside from allergic reactions. I'm not allergic to anything that I know of. I would definitely avoid buying pan masala with tobacco in it, but is there anything else that should generally be avoided? heath925 February 12, 2011 I would love to try Pan masala, but there aren't any Indian specialty stores in my area. Is it ever available in a regular American grocery store?I wouldn't mind trying my hand at making my own either. It sounds very interesting. Where can I find recipes for it? elizabeth2 February 10, 2011 Pan masala sounds wonderful, and I wonder why it's use hasn't become more widespread. I am very interested in trying it, not only for the mouth freshening benefits, but also as a digestive aid. I assume that if it's a digestive aid, it is meant to be swallowed after chewed. Is this true? I sure don't want to swallow something that I'm not supposed to. anon17047 August 21, 2008 what do you mean the antibacterial effect of pan masala? is there any effect on our normal flora on mouth? a lot of normal flora in our mouth, after using this pan masala, what happens to the bacterium in our mouth? Post your comments Please enter the following code: Login: Forgot password? Register: window.stockSnippets = window.stockSnippets ; window.stockSnippets['ss_rhs'] = ` `; By: Connfetti Pan masala is served after a meal to help freshen breath and aid in digestion. By: Klaus Eppele Tobacco is sometimes added to pan masala. By: margo555 Cardamom is commonly used to season pan masala. By: OMKAR A.V Betel nuts are often used to prepare pan masala. By: Tupungato Pan masala is served after meals in India. By: photocrew Fennel seeds are an important ingredient in pan masala. Categories

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Pan masala is a manufactured version of pan that is available to consumers in a packaged form. This allows storing and carrying it without the need to assemble and preserve it like pan. The difference between pan and pan masala is essentially like the difference between milk and milk powder.


All tobacco-containing products like pan masala have already been banned in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu in India. Unfortunately, blanket bans are generally not too effective given that the sale of the banned product just shifts to the black markets where it becomes completely unregulated. If tobacco is the problem, why not just remove tobacco from pan masala? That would certainly be easier than a ban since it will still allow the masses to enjoy their coveted pan masala.


The betel nut in pan masala does not contain nicotine but it contains nitrosamines which are also carcinogenic. The slaked lime, although not classified as a carcinogen yet, can form tumours in the mouth. A majority of oral cancer cases in India occur due to the consumption of smokeless tobacco like pan masala and oral cancer rates are especially high in the state of Uttar Pradesh in North India due to the widespread consumption of pan.


This is why the IARC has classified pan, both with and without tobacco, as carcinogenic. Although the IARC does not specifically mention pan masala in its list of carcinogens, it goes without saying that pan masala is also a carcinogen given that it contains the same ingredients as pan.


However, this ad became the talk of the town not because they were promoting a popular pan masala brand but rather because the company (Vimal) brought together 2 of the most powerful celebrities in Bollywood who had never worked together in a single movie in their entire career.


In the case of pan masala advertisements done by a tobacco company, the tobacco-free pan masala is a surrogate for all their tobacco products. Think of it as a person who covers a bag full of explosives with a layer of grapes so that you believe he is just a harmless fruit seller while his real business is selling explosives. In my opinion, the Ajay Devgn and SRK pan masala ad mentioned previously is also an example of a surrogate advertisement.


Yes, unfortunately it seems like certain news channels have no other sponsors than pan masala companies. The constant pan masala ads end up giving me earworms as the song gets stuck in your head. I have stopped watching these news channels as a result of this.


Barely days after netizens were left dumbfounded after coming across Mango Maggi and Maggi Milkshake, the latest wacky version with the tobacco-based product has left many scratching their heads. Believe it or not, in a tweet that has gone viral, a person is seen opening a packet of pan masala and sprinkling it in a big bowl of noodles.


As the tweet went viral, it was traced back to the Instagram account of content creator and comedian Rohit Chouhan. In a Reel posted by Chouhan last month, he is seen opening a packet of the pan masala and adding it to the bowl. 2ff7e9595c


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