Indian Masalas
The Dry Masalas (powdered Spice mixes or curry powders) are used to flavor lentils, vegetables, seafood, and meat. The ingredients are roasted over low heat until they release a faint aroma. A fine powder is made and they are stored in an airtight container.
Some of the popular spice mixes or masala used in Indian cuisines are given here:-
Below These are the some Indian Masala use in daily basis.
Types of Indian Masala
Biryani Masala
It is used for savory spiced colorful and flavorful rice.
| Fennel Seeds | 50 gm | Black Cardamoms | 10 gm |
| White Poppy Seeds | 40 gm | Star Anise | 10 gm |
| Cumin Seeds | 30 gm | Caraway Seeds | 10 gm |
| Cinnamon Powder | 30 gm | Bay Leaves | 10 gm |
| Whole Cloves | 20 gm | Mace | 10 gm |
| Green Cardamoms | 20 gm | Nutmeg | Powder of 2/4 piece |
Chole Masala
It is used for chickpea curry.
| Coriander Seeds | 2 tbsp | Cloves | 4-5 |
| Cinnamon | 1” piece | Cumin Seeds | 2 tbsp |
| Black Cardamom | 3-4 pods | Anardana (optional) | 1 tbsp |
| Bay Leaf | 1 | Whole Dry Chilies (optional) | 1 or 2 |
| Black Peppercorns | 1 tbsp |
Check out the how to make Amritsari Choley.
Coastal Fish Masala
It is used for fish curry and fish fry.
| Dry Coconut Grated | 3 tbsp | White Pepper Corns | ¼ cup |
| Sesame Seeds | 1 tbsp | Green Cardamom Pods | ½ cup |
| Mustard Seeds | 2 tblsp | Cumin Seeds | ¾ cup |
| Saffron Strands | ¼ tbsp | Nutmeg Powder | ¼ cup |
| Black Pepper Corns | ¼ cup |
Garam Masala
Garam masala (from garam(hot) and masala(a mixture of spices)) is a blend of different ground spices, It is a usual spice mix used in stews.
| Coriander seeds | 4 tbsp | Black Cardamom | 3-4 large pods |
| Cumin seeds | 1 tbsp | Cloves | 2-3 pieces |
| Black Peppercorns | 1 tbsp | Cinnamon | 2 × 1” pieces |
| Black Cumin seeds | 1 ½ tbsp | Bay Leaves | 2 Crushed |
| Dry Ginger Powder | 1 ½ tbsp |
Kala(Goda) Masala
kala(Goda) masala is a Maharashtrian spice mixture (masala), very aromatic spice mix powder which is the base for most
Maharashtrian curries and dals.
| Coriander Seeds | 500 gm | Mace Flower | 50 gm |
| Dry Red Chilies | 250 gm | Cinnamon Bark | 50 gm |
| Dry Coconut shredded | 250 gm | White Poppy Seeds | 50 gm |
| Dry Turmeric Roots | 50 gm | Caraway Seeds | 50 gm |
| Asafoetida Chunks | 50 gm | Sesame Seeds | 50 gm |
| Cloves | 50 gm | Sesame Seeds | 50 gm |
| Black Pepper Corns | 50 gm | Bay Leaves | 50 gm |
| Flower Stone | 50 gm | Green Cardamom | 25 gm |
| Whole Nutmegs | 5 pieces | Black Cardamom | 25 gm |
Meat Masala
It is used to flavor chicken and lamb dishes.
| Cumin Seeds | 20 gm | Ginger Powder | 5 gm |
| Coriander Seeds | 8 gm | Garlic Powder | 5 gm |
| Cloves | 5 gm | Red Chili Powder | 5 gm |
| Cinnamon | 2” Stick | Turmeric Powder | 5 gm |
| Orange food coloring | 1 gm | Mace Powder | 5 gm |
| Salt | 5 gm |
Pav-Bhaji Masala
It is used in a tangy stew paired with Pao(bun-shaped bread).
| Red Chili | 50 gm | Black Cardamom | 4-5 pieces |
| Coriander Seeds | 50 gm | Dry Mango Powder | 25 gm |
| Cumin Seeds | 25 gm | Fennel Seeds | 10 gm |
| Black Pepper | 25 gm | Turmeric Powder | 1 tbsp |
| Cinnamon | 25 gm | Star Anise | 2 pieces |
| Clove | 25 gm |
Rajma Masala
It is used to spice kidney beans curry.
| Cloves | 4 pieces | Black Peppercorns | 4 pieces |
| Cardamom | 2 pieces | Cumin Seeds | 1 tbsp |
| Cinnamon Stick | 1” stick | Cumin Powder | 1 tbsp |
| Bay leaf | 1 piece | Ginger Garlic Paste | 1 tbsp |
| Coriander Powder | 1 ½ tbsp | Garam Masala Powder | ½ tbsp |
| Red Chili Powder | 1 tbsp | Dry Mango Powder | ½ tbsp |
Sambar Masala
It is used to flavor a curry named Sambar, Prepared with cooked pigeon peas, drumsticks, tomatoes, pumpkin pieces, and cubes of other vegetables. Sambar is one of the most delicious South Indian foods often served as a side with rice and vegetable stir fry, And also served with Idli, Urad Wada, Uthappam, or various types of Dosai.
| Chana Daal | ¼ cup | Black Peppercorns | ¼ cup |
| Urad Daal (black gram) | ¼ cup | Dry Red Broken Chili | ¼ cup |
| Coriander Seeds | ½ cup | Dry Grated Coconut | ¼ cup |
| Cumin Seeds | ¼ cup | Mustard Seeds | ¼ cup |
| Fenugreek Seeds | ¼ cup | Turmeric Powder | 2 tbsp |
| Dried Curry Leaves | 20 pieces | Asafetida Powder | 2 tbsp |
Tea Masala
It is used to prepare flavored tea.
| Black Cardamom | 1 pod | Black Peppercorns | ¼ tbsp |
| Cardamom Seeds | From 25 pods | Dry, Ground Ginger Powder | 1 tbsp |
| Cloves | 4 pieces | Ground Cinnamon Powder | 1 tbsp |
| Fennel seeds | ½ tbsp | Carom Seeds (optional) | ¼ tbsp |
There is a very large variety of spice mixes for side dishes such as curd based salad named Raita, appetizers such as Jal-Jeera and Chhach, sweet-flavored milk named Thandai, and Indian street food named Chaat.
There are also some other spices such as pickle masala, A combination of five spices named panch-poran used in eastern states of India. The list goes on according to the taste preferences and diversity in cultures.
