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Indian cuisine is incomplete without masalas. You matter which dish you are preparing, chances are you will need a masala to make it a delicious treat for your family and family. Without masala, your food will most likely turn bland and nobody likes bland food, especially Indians who love the bold flavours. In essence, masalas are a blend of spices and masala powders are basically ground spices. The use of masala powders is considered to be convenient and easy to incorporate in a dish compared to whole spices. Apart from the flavour, these masalas also pack a lot of benefits because of the spices and herbs that are used to make them.
The best part about masalas is that you can always buy them from the store but making them on your own is not a difficult task either and it is always preferred to make your own masalas at home as it gives you complete control over what ingredients you can choose while also making sure they are fresh. Here are 7 easy-to-make Indian masalas you should definitely give a try.
Garam Masala
It is one of the most popular and used masala blends in Indian cuisine, so much so there's even a Bollywood movie by the same title starring Akshay Kumar. You can easily find this masala in any store you would walk into. Garam masala is a versatile masala that can be used in daily cooking. The blend is typically made using cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, cloves and more depending on the preference of the masala maker or the brand.
Coriander Masala
Another essential in the spice box is the dhaniya powder. This blend imparts a lovely aroma and pleasant savoury flavour to the dishes. Not many dishes can taste as good as they do without coriander masala. Just like garam masala, it is suitable for daily cooking and can help amp up your meals. It is also good for people who prefer a lighter spice blend.
Dhaniya powder is a blend of coriander, cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon.
Tandoori Masala
Who doesn't love those delicious tandoori chicken, tandoori paneer and tikka masala? But do you know how these popular dishes get their distinct burst of flavour? The answer is tandoori masala. It's a very widely used masala blend in India and is often responsible for elevating your most beloved dishes.
Tandoori masala is created by a blend of spices such as coriander seeds, cumin, amchur powder, garlic powder, red food colour and more.
Biryani Masala
Biryani is one of India's most loved dishes and Indians take their Biryani seriously so it is necessary to get your biryani right. This fragrant rice-based dish has many variations such as Hyderabadi Biryani or Lucknowi Biryani.
To make sure you get your biryani right, there's a separate masala blend just for biryani alone which helps you recreate the same aromatic and delicious restaurant-style biryani at home.
You need ingredients like cumin, cloves, bay leaf, star anise, coriander, nutmeg, fennel seeds, cardamom and black pepper to make your own biryani masala at home.
Chaat Masala
Originating from Uttar Pradesh, this masala blend lights up the Indian street food menu being used in many popular snacks such as chaat, bhel puri, pani puri and more. It is made by using amchur powder, cumin, carom seeds, mint, coriander and more.
Panch Phoran
A unique entry to the list, panch phoran is a great spice blend originating from Bengal. Panch means 'five' in Hindi whereas phoran means 'spices' meaning five spices. It is traditionally used in tempering and is made by using just five spices as its name suggests.
Fennel seeds, black mustard seeds, cumin, nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds together combine to make the popular panch phoran.
Masala Tea Powder
Unlike other masala powders on the list, masala tea powder is not something you would use in daily cooking or cooking at all. This masala is a delight for tea lovers which almost all Indians are.
This masala will help you make a perfect cup of chai to kickstart your day or to enjoy a warm cup after a long day. The aroma along with the intense flavour are a match made in heaven.
To make masala tea powder, you will need cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon, dried ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, fennel, saffron and dried rose petals.
