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Different Masala used in Indian Cookery
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.
