Masala is a term from the Indian subcontinent for a spice mix in certain proportions (From Urdu Masalah, via Arabic Masalih).[1][2] A masala can be either a combination of dried (and usually dry-roasted) spices, or
a paste (such as vindaloo masala) made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients—often garlic, ginger, onions, chilli paste and tomato. Masalas are used extensively in Indian cuisine to add spice and flavour,[3] most familiarly in chicken tikka masala and chicken curry.
Spice mixes are blended spices or herbs. When a certain combination of herbs or spices is called for in many different recipes (or in one recipe that is used frequently), it is convenient to blend these ingredients beforehand. Blends such as chili powder, curry powder, herbes de Provence, garlic salt, and other seasoned salts are traditionally sold pre-made by grocers, and sometimes baking blends such as pumpkin pie spice are also available. These spice mixes are also easily made by the home cook for later use.
A spice or Masala is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Many spices have antimicrobial properties [1]. This may explain why spices are more commonly used in warmer climates, which have more infectious diseases, and why the use of spices is prominent in meat, which is particularly susceptible to spoiling.[2] Spices are sometimes used in medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics or perfume production
Indian spices include a variety of spices grown across the Indian subcontinent. With different climates in different parts of the country, India produces a variety of spices, many of which are native to the subcontinent, while others were imported from similar climates and have since been cultivated locally for centuries.
Spices are used in different forms: whole, chopped, ground, roasted, sautéed, fried, and as topping. They blend food to extract the nutrients and bind them in a palatable form. Some spices are added at the end as a flavouring and are typically heated in a pan with ghee or cooking oil before being added to a dish. Lighter spices are added last, and spices with strong flavour should be added first. “Curry” refers to any dish in Indian cuisine that contains several spices blended together, whether dry or with a gravy base. However, it also refers to Curry leaves, commonly used in South India
A masala box (or masala dabbi, dabbe, or dabba) is a popular spice storage container widely used in Indian kitchens.
A typical masaladabbi has a number of small cups, often seven, placed inside a round or square box.[1] The modern boxes have transparent lids and display the contents inside.Usually a small spoon (approximately 1/2 teaspoon size) accompanies the box.[1] The most popular and daily usage spices like mustard, chili, garam masala, cumin, fenugreek, variety of masalas, ajwain (bishop’s weed) etc. are stored in this box.
Some antique masala dabbis are heirloom art objects, and are passed on in a family from generation to generation.
Below is a list of spices and other flavouring substances commonly used in India.[1]
| Image | Standard English | Hindi | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Cardamom | इलायची (elachi) | Intensely Aromatic- Digestive, Anti inflammatory, Anti oxidant propertiesMain Producers: Idukki in Kerala | |
| Alkanet Root | रातीं जोट rātīṃ (rātīn) joṭ | |||
 | Fennel seed[2] | सौंफ/सुव्वा/शोप saunf/suvvā/śop | ||
 | Asafoetida | हींग hiṃg (hing) | Intensely aromatic – related to Truffle and Garlic | |
 | Red Chilli | लाल मिर्च lāl mirch | ||
 | Black cardamom | काली इलायची kāli ilāyachī | Very earthy and darkly aromatic. A much used in North Indian curries. | |
 | White Pepper | सफ़ेद मिर्च saphed mirch | ||
 | Black Pepper | काली मिर्च kālī mirch | Largest producer is the southern Indian state of Kerala. | |
 | Peppercorns | काली मिर्च kālī mirch | ||
 | Black Cumin | शाही जीरा śāhī jīrā | Sweet, floral and smokey cumin and anise-like flavour. Smaller in size than regular cumin. Often mistaken as Caraway seed. Though English translation is black cumin, the term black cumin is also used as English translation of Nigella sativa, kalonji | |
 | Capers | कचरा/कब्र/करेर kacharā/kabr/karer | ||
 | Capsicum | शिमला मिर्च śimalā mirch | ||
 | Celery / Radhuni Seed | अज्मुद/अज्मोदा ajmud/ajmodā | ||
 | Charoli | चिरोंजी chiroṃjī (chironjī) | a type of nut particularly used in making desserts | |
 | Indian Bay Leaf, Bay Leaf | तेज पत्ता tej pattā | Both Indian bay leaf and bay leaf are similar and called as Tej Patta in Hindi. However, they are from two different species and have differences in taste | |
| Cinnamon Buds | नाग केशर nāg keśar | |||
 | Cinnamon | दालचीनी dālachīnī | Grown commercially in Kerala in southern India. Two types, cassia (common) and royal. | |
 | Citric Acid | निंबू फूल niṃbū phūl | ||
 | Cloves | लवंग/लौंग lavaṃg (lavang) / lauṃg (laung) | Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are largest producers in India. | |
| Coriander Powder | धनिया पाउडर / पिसा धनिया dhaniyā pāuḍar / pisā dhaniyā | |||
 | Coriander Seed | धनिया dhaniyā | ||
 | Cubeb | कबाब चीनी kabāb chīnī | Tastes of Clove + Persistent Mild Numbing + Bitterness | |
| Cumin Seed ground into balls | ज़ीरा गोली zīrā (jīrā) golī | |||
 | Cumin Seed | ज़ीरा zīrā (jīrā) | See Kali Jeera. | |
 | Curry Tree or Sweet Neem Leaf | करीपत्ता / कढ़ीपत्ता karīpattā/kaḍhīpattā | Cannot retain flavour when dried. Only use fresh. | |
 | Fennel Seed | सौंफ / संचल sauṃph (saunph)/saṃchal (sanchal) | ||
 | Fenugreek Leaf | कसूरी मेथी kasūrī methī | ||
| Fenugreek Leaf | मेथी पत्ता methī pattā | |||
 | Fenugreek Seed | मेथी दाना methī dānā | ||
| Four Seeds | तरबूज खरबूज ककडी पैंठे के बीज tarabūj kharabūj kakaḍī pauṃṭhe ke bīj | Seeds of Water melon, musk melon, cucumber and pumpkin | ||
 | Garcinia gummi-gutta | Used in fish preparations of Kerala | ||
 | Garam masala | गरम मसाला garam masālā | Blend of 8+ spices. Each family has their own secret recipe. | |
 | Garcinia indica | कोकम kokam | ||
 | Garlic | लहसुन lahasun | ||
 | Ginger | अदरक adarak | ||
 | Dried Ginger | सोंठ soṃṭh (sonṭh) | mostly powdered | |
 | Green cardamom | छोटी इलाइची chhoṭī ilāichī | Malabar variety is native to Kerala. | |
| Indian Bedellium Tree | गुगल/गु्ग्गल gugal/guggal | Very earthy aromatic mostly used in religious | ||
 | Indian Gooseberry | आँवला āṃvalā | ||
 | Jakhya | जख्या | Tasteless and odorless when uncooked; Earthly and crunchy when crackled in oil. | |
| Kalpasi | पत्थर के फूल patthar ke phūl | Also known as black stone flower | ||
 | Licorice Powder | जेठीमध jeṭhīmadh | ||
 | Long Pepper | पिप्पलि pippali | ||
| Mango Extract | कामिकी kāmikī | |||
| Sour Dried Mango Powder | आमचूर / अमचुर āmachūr/amachur | |||
 | Mint | पुदीना ‘pudīnā | ||
 | Mustard Seed | सरसों sarasoṃ | ||
 | Brown mustard Seed | राई rāī | ||
 | Nigella Seed | कलोंजी kaloṃjī (kalomjī) | ||
 | Nutmeg | जैफल / जायफल jaiphal/jāyaphal | Whole nuts last forever. Powder, only a month. | |
 | Mace | जावित्री jāvitrī | Mace is outer covering to nutmeg nut. Similar aroma. | |
 | Holy Basil | तुलसी tulasī | ||
 | Panch Phoron | पञ्च फोरन pañch phoran | This is a Bengali spice mix that combines fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and nigella seeds. | |
 | Pomegranate Seed | अनारदाना anārdānā | Dried not fresh. Is ground in Middle East. | |
 | Poppy Seed | खस-खस khas-khas | very popular in West Bengal known Posto, with no of Bengali cuisine, most popular Allu Posto | |
| Fresh Hemp Cannabis | भांग Bhang | |||
| Saffron Pulp | केसर मिरी मिरी kesar mirī mirī | Actually, safflower concentrate | ||
 | Saffron | केसर / जाफरान kesar/jāpharān | World’s most expensive spice. Flavouring for rice. | |
 | Sesame Seed | तिल til | ||
 | Star Anise | चक्र फूल / बदल फुल chakra phūl/badal phul | Exotic, Chinese-influenced flavours | |
 | Tamarind | इमली imalī | Provides tartness in South Indian curries | |
 | Carom/thymol seed | अज़वाइन azvāin | ||
 | Turmeric | हल्दी haldī | Source of yellow color in many curries. | |
 | Fresh basil | तुलसी tulasī | ||
 | Fresh Coriander | हरा धनिया harā dhaniyā | Fresh green leaves. AKA Cilantro. | |
 | Green Chili Pepper | हरी मिर्च harī mirch | ||
| Gum Tragacanth | कटीरा गोंद kaṭīrā goṃd (gond) | A thickener and coating for desserts | ||
_hanging_fruit_at_23_Mile,_Duars,_WB_W_IMG_5902.jpg) | Inknut Terminalia chebula | हरद harad | ||
 | Dried Red Chili Pepper | लाल मिर्च lāl mirch |
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