Curry Powder vs Masala (2024)

FAQs

Curry Powder vs Masala? ›

Ultimately both curry powder and masala are blended spice mixes that can be added to food to pack a spicy and aromatic kick. In the end, the difference boils down to the different mix of spices, masala being more of a warming aromatic blend and curry powder being more of an earthy blend.

While curry powder's aromatic qualities are different from garam masala, the former offers a similar complexity of flavors and aromas. Curry powder works well with a wide range of dishes, and includes some of the key ingredients of garam masala. To replace garam masala with curry powder in your recipe, use a 1:1 ratio.

Garam Masala vs. Curry Powder: What's the Difference? Both garam masala and curry powder are used to add flavor and color to dishes. One of the biggest differences between the two is that garam masala doesn't contain tumeric, which is one of the main ingredients in curry powder, imbuing dishes with a yellow hue.

Some say the south Indian Tamil word 'kari' which means 'sauce' is the root of the word that was then anglicized as 'curry. ' Japanese curry for instance, is called 'kare'. Hence, curry is also a blend of spices and herbs that season a dish of legumes, vegetables, or meat, in order for it to be then called, a curry.

Recipes for both use the same seasonings, and appear pretty much interchangeable, except that curry often has coconut-something in it, and tikka masala is heavy on butter and cream.

Chicken tikka masala is one of the most popular curry dishes in the Western world. The dish today has been refined from its accidental beginning, although there is no one standard recipe.

Ultimately both curry powder and masala are blended spice mixes that can be added to food to pack a spicy and aromatic kick. In the end, the difference boils down to the different mix of spices, masala being more of a warming aromatic blend and curry powder being more of an earthy blend.

Butter Chicken

Originating from North India, it's very similar to a chicken tikka masala except the gravy uses fewer spices. Initially, this curry was made by chance, by mixing in leftover tandoori chicken with a tomato sauce, rich in butter, during the 50s.

Either a blend of dried spices or a spice paste, masala often includes garlic, ginger, chile paste, tomato and onion, along with coriander, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and cardamom. Familiar here thanks to chicken tikka masala, its spiced, flavor-forward profile makes it a go-to spice blend for many Indian-accented dishes.

Masala or Massala or Masalo (Hindi: मसाला, Urdu: مسالہ Gujarati: મસાલો, Marathi: मसाला, Nepali: मसला) is a word used in South Asia mainly in India. When Indian people talk about cooking and they say masala, they mean a mixture of ground spices used in Indian cooking.

What do Indians use for curry? ›

Most of these curry powders contain generic/popular Indian spices (like cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, onion and garlic powder) that are used in most Indian cooking, but will definitely taste different from house-to-house/restaurant-to-restaurant/brand-to-brand.

Tikka refers to grilled or roasted pieces of meat that are either marinated in yogurt or spiced water before being cooked on skewers. Masala refers to a sauce made with cream, yogurt, or tomatoes; or a mixture of spices used to flavor food.

The primary ingredient in most Indian curry powders is bright yellow turmeric. Turmeric is earthy, musky, and warm, and delivers great depth to curries with no heat. Indian curry spices are usually a blend of: Kashmiri Chile Powder – this chile has a terrific, rich flavor without much heat.

You may have come across recipes where they use both curry powder and garam masala powder. This is because the spices can be used together in a dish complementing or highlighting the flavour. The point to remember when using these two together is that you need to use them in moderation.

The Differences

Curry is a sauce typically made with vegetables and tomatoes. Curry doesn't necessarily contain any ground spices but relies on chilli peppers, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves and peppercorns for flavour. The word Masala, on the other hand, means spice mix.

Cumin and chili powder work together as a swap-out ingredient for curry powder that deliver spicy warming notes. These spices work with meat dishes, stews and curries.

Chicken tikka masala is a national favorite food of India. There are different theories regarding its origin. it is also considered a historical dish of the subcontinent. It is roughly dated 5,000 years ago and traditionally cooked in the tandoor (oven) in Indian culture.

Everyone loves this dish worldwide. It is a delicious combination of marinated chicken with a creamy tomato-based sauce. So, it's not hard to understand why it's become so popular Indian dish. The aromatic herbs and unique mix of flavors make this dish genuinely one-of-a-kind.

Cumin mixed with allspice: This two-part blend makes sense if you think about it. Allspice's flavor is reminiscent of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper—mixed with cumin, that's a pretty darn good garam masala substitute. Just mix 1 part cumin with ¼ part allspice.

Biryani masala is a blend of spices used specifically for biryani dishes. It typically includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, bay leaves, and nutmeg. In summary: Curry powder is yellow-orange in color due to the presence of turmeric and comes in mild and hot varieties.

Is garam masala the same as madras curry powder? ›

The main difference between Madras curry powder and Garam masala is turmeric. Turmeric is a primary ingredient in curry powder and is not typically included in a garam masala mix.

It's at once utterly confusing and incredibly simple. Masala means mixture of spices. So, a mixture of warming spices roasted and then ground down to a fine powder is a Garam Masala. A mixture of spices that are slightly tart and perfect paired with chickpeas roasted and ground down is a Chana Masala.