means spice mixture in India. The word masala comes from the Arabic word which originally meant ‘interests’, hence ‘necessities’, hence ‘seasonings’.
The blending of spices is the essence of Indian cookery and there are many different types and combinations of spices which suit particular dishes, regional specialities, and taste preferences. Masala can be ground or whole spices; mild or strong; bland or sharp; ‘dry’ or ‘wet’. Every different version imparts its own distinctive flavour. The combination selected depends on what kind of dish is being prepared, e.g. whether it requires a strong ‘hot’ flavour or a subtle, aromatic flavour.
Generally speaking, a masala in N. India is made with dry spices pounded to make a powder, which keeps well, rather than being ground with a liquid to make a paste. S. India, on the other hand, tends to prefer fresh or green spices, ground with water, lime juice, coconut milk, or vinegar, to make ‘wet’ masalas or pastes. These vary in consistency according to the amount of liquid used, and in keeping quality according to the nature of the liquid. The range of possibilities is almost infinite. A few examples are given below.
The best-known masala is garam masala. It is the principal spice mixture in N. Indian cookery. Garam comes from the Persian word garm, meaning ‘hot’ in the special sense explained under sardi/garmi. A classic garam masala will therefore include some of the spices which are ‘hot’—cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and black cardamom. Nowadays, however, garam masala usually includes some ‘cooling’ or more aromatic spices such as green cardamon, coriander, cumin, and tejpat leaves (Cinnamomum tamala, much used in the north of India, often called ‘Indian cassia’).
Blends of garam masala vary enormously, according to local or regional tastes. Other ingredients used include cassia, fennel, even dried rose petals, to take but a few examples.
The spices of garam masala are usually dry roasted before use. The mixture is then added to the dish as a final flavouring, just before it is served. Garam masala is mostly used with meat; to a lesser extent in poultry and rice dishes, such as pilafs and birianis; and only rarely in fish or vegetable dishes, for which its aroma is considered too strong. Garam masala is in any case always used sparingly.
Chat (sometimes chaat) masala is a tart and salty spice blend which gets its unique taste from amchur, the sharp, lemony seasoning made from ground, dried, unripe mangoes. The other elements in the mixture are variable; they can include ground asafoetida, mint, ginger, ajowan, cayenne, black salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and dried pomegranate seeds. Chaat masala is used to flavour the salad-like dishes known as chaats (the most popular ones are made with shredded cooked chicken and mixed fruit) and as a seasoning when a sharp, hot, and tart flavour is required.
Dhansak masala is a ‘hot’ Parsi spice mixture used for dhansak dishes.
Gujerati masala is another ‘hot’ spice mixture with the addition of chillies, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, and ajowan seeds.
Kala masala (or black masala—kala means black) consists of pepper, clove, cinnamon, and other black spices.
Kashmiri masala is closely related to garam masala; its flavour is milder, being dominated by the fragrant green cardamon. It is used in the far north of India and, of course, in Kashmir. It is particularly used to flavour dishes cooked by the dum method, i.e. baked in a sealed pot.
Sambar masala, also known as sambar podi, is a special spice mixture of the Parsis and of S. India, widely used in vegetarian Brahman cooking, see sambar. It is a tart mixture made up of toasted ground split peas (dal), coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, and fenugreek powder.
Taaza (or green) masala (taaza meaning fresh or new) is a green spice paste based on fresh coriander leaves, mint, garlic, and ginger. It is added to meat or fish stews or vegetable dishes to give extra flavour.
Xacutti (or shakuti) masala is a speciality of Goa. Spices such as coriander seeds, cumin, black peppercorns, fenugreek, and chillies are blended with coconut, roasted until quite dark in colour, and then fried giving a toasted nutty taste and lending a dark colour to curries.
Char masala, a blend of spices used in Afghanistan, is closely related to the Indian garam masala. Char means ‘four’ in Persian and this spice mixture can be a combination of any four spices such as green cardamom, black pepper, cumin, cloves, black cardamom, and cinnamon.
See also spice mixtures.
Helen Saberi was Alan Davidson's personal assistant, and worked very closely with him on the first edition of the Companion, as contributor, researcher, fact-checker, and proofreader. She is the author of Noshe Djan: Afghan Food and Cookery, and co-author with Alan Davidson of Trifle. (HS)
