thanks for all those replies..think you may have this spot on chewy, the places I know of serving masaledar are punjabi, I had no idea of the difference until now. My favourite bir, apparently one of Scotlands originals, is actually Pakistani & spice blends etc are punjabi. I'm not sure if they advertise masaledar on their menu but it is definitely added to certain dishes. As for background tastes, I find the that taste will be evident in the smell as you walk through the door, particularly in restaurant chains, eg Ashoka to name but a few, which has a predominately garlic/ginger flavour, which I like but can be overwhelming. I found a masaledar here
http://punjabirecipes.net/dinner.php?recipe_id=27 which looks super sour.If I can see after tasting, Ill report back on this if of any interest to anybody
regards
ELW
Ps whats in a jal mix?