Take a frying pan and heat it on a low flame on your gas stove or induction cooktop.
When the frying pan is hot enough, add 2 tbsp of coriander seeds, 1.5 tbsp of black pepper, 2 pieces of black cardamom, 1 piece mace, 1 medium piece of star anise, ½ piece of nutmeg, 1 tbsp of cumin seeds, 2 tbsp of caraway seeds (shahi jeera), 2 tbsp of mustard seeds, 2 tbsp of split pigeon pea (arhar dal), 8 pieces of garlic without skin, 2 pieces of medium-sized bay leaves, 12 pieces of dry red chilies, 1 large cinnamon stick (broken into small pieces), 15 pieces of cloves, and 1 piece of dry ginger or about 1.5-inch size into the pan.
Turn the flame of your gas stove to medium and then stir the ingredients continuously for about 3 to 4 minutes to dry roast them evenly and prevent the spices from getting burnt in the process.
Turn the flame off when the dry red chilies and garlic are sufficiently dry and the spices have changed their color slightly.
Transfer the ingredients onto a plate. Let it sit for some time so that the spices cool off completely.
Take a grinder.
Transfer the ingredients into the grinder when the ingredients are cool enough.
Now, directly in the grinder add ½ tbsp of turmeric powder to the ingredients.
Then add 3 tbsp of Kashmiri red chili powder to it.
Now, add 1 tbsp of table salt.
Add ½ tbsp of black salt as well.
Finally, add 1 tbsp of asafetida to the ingredients.
Now grind the ingredients into a fine powder. Grind it a couple of times in short intervals to retain the flavor yet get a smooth powder.
Additionally, if you want even a finer powder, take a strainer and place it over a bowl.
Transfer the ground spices into the strainer. Use a spoon to strain the mixture. Put the coarser granules into the grinder again and grind them to get a finer and smoother powder.
Transfer the content into the bowl and your tandoori masala powder is ready to use in a variety of dishes of your choice.