15+ Popular Indian Spice Mixes

Here is a guide to learn about essential Indian spice mixes that you need for everyday cooking.

The key to Indian cooking is spice mixes, which give food enticing aromas, vivid hues, and delicious flavors. These mixes also function as a taste map, showcasing the variety of tastes found throughout the nation.

Tips For Making Indian Spice Mix

• Choose fresh and good quality spices for the best aroma.
• Whenever possible, purchase whole spices, once crushed, these ingredients will exhibit their maximum flavor.
• Dry roast the spices to unleash their taste before being ground into a powder. Dry roasting also helps to remove excess moisture and increases the shelf life.
• For optimal flavor, follow the specified proportions of each ingredient outlined in the recipe.
• Always make small batches of spice mixes to retain their freshness.
• Store the spice blends in clean air-tight glass containers.

Explore some of these spice blends and their applications as we go on a masaale daar tour. To add spiciness to your meals (and life!), have these 15 traditional Indian masalas in your kitchen. For instance, Garam Masala, Biryani Masala Powder. And more. So, let’s get started.

Garam Masala

A mixture of ground spices called garam masala is frequently used in Indian cooking. It can be combined with other seasonings or used alone sometimes. Masala translates to "spices," while garam signifies "hot." Hence, the exact translation of the phrase garam masala is "hot spices."

To preserve its aroma and flavor, it is added at the end of cooking. You can use it in appetizers, stir-fries, stews, curries, rice dishes, and more.

Biryani Masala 

Making biryani might be difficult if you are an amateur chef or just lack as much knowledge in the kitchen as others. Would you like to know a secret? To achieve an incredible outcome, biryani masala is a great idea. A spice mixture called biryani masala is used to flavor biryani. A variety of Indian spices, including cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves, are usually included. 

You can use it to make rice dishes like Vegetable biryani and Pulao.

Sambar Masala

A famous lentil soup from South India, sambar is made using a spice mix called sambar masala. Typically, it has spices like mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and black pepper. It gives the sambar a flavorful, fragrant boost. 

It is used for making South Indian dishes like vegetable sambar, curries, kootu, and rice dishes like carrot rice.

Bisi Bele Bath Powder

The spice mixture known as bisi bele bath masala powder is used to prepare the traditional Karnataka, India meal bisi bele bath. This masala powder gives the food a distinct, tasty flavor. It's ideal for people who want their food hot and flavorful! 

It is used for making a popular dish from Karnataka called Bisi Bele Bath. It can also be used in curries.

Chana Masala

A traditional Indian meal made with chickpeas, chana masala, is created with a spice mix called chana masala powder. A variety of spices, including coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala, are usually included. 

Used in preparing the popular dish Chole bhature, and rice dishes like Chickpea biryani.

Chai Masala

Chai is a typical Indian tea made with chai masala, a spice combination. Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and black pepper are common spices used in it. The tea becomes more fragrant and savory with the addition of this masala's warm, aromatic flavor. 

Used to make Indian Masala Chai, Iced Masala Chai Latte.

Chaat Masala

The zesty and aromatic spice chaat masala is used in Indian street cuisine and snacks. Dried mango powder, cumin, coriander, black salt, and a variety of other herbs and spices are usually included. 

Used to sprinkle on snacks like pakoras, masala fries, chaats, grilled veggies, fruit salads.

Tandoori Masala

Spices prepared at home have a unique taste. Spices that are freshly ground give your food a distinctive flavor. This will be quite familiar to you if you have ever created fresh spices at home. Making tandoori masala at home is surprisingly simple. To prepare this savory masala, combine all of the ingredients and process until they form a fine powder.

Used in the preparation of Marinades, Barbeque, Roasted, or Grilled Vegetables.

Panch Phoron

Panch phoron is a Bengali spice blend consisting of five whole spices: fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and fennel seeds. It's frequently used in Bengali cooking to give meals like pickles, lentil soups, stir-fried vegetables, and curries a distinct, fragrant flavor. You can easily get it at Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.

Used in tempering (or tadka), mixed vegetable curries, lentil dishes, and pickles.

Here is the detailed recipe for Panch Phoron.

Rasam Powder

The aromatic spice combination known as rasam powder is used to prepare the tangy and spicy South Indian Rasam. Usually, it has components like cumin, coriander, and dried red chilies together with black pepper and other spices. 

Used to make Rasam, soups, stir-fries, and rice dishes.

Pav Bhaji Masala

The procedure of making your own homemade pav bhaji masala is not that complicated. In a hot pan, dry roast the entire spices until their fragrances emerge. Before pulverizing them into a fine powder, allow them to cool. Mango powder, white salt, black salt, and red chili powder are added to enhance the taste while retaining the masala.

Used to make famous Mumbai street food Pav Bhaji, Tawa Pulao, curries, and snacks.

Goda Masala

A delicious blend of spices and seeds, goda masala contains sesame, cumin, asafoetida, cinnamon, red chilli, turmeric, cloves, and cardamom. Together with coconut and coriander seeds, these spices are roasted and processed into a fine powder. It adds flavor to a variety of Maharashtrian meals. In addition to adding tang to a plain dal, you can also use it in biryanis.

Used to make famous Bharli Vangi, Masale bhaat, Misal Pav, Usal, Bhaji and Amti.

Thandai Masala

A unique spice combination called thandai powder is used to produce the traditional Indian beverage known as thandai. It's widely consumed during Hindu holidays like Mahashivratri and Holi. It is well-known for having a rich, crisp flavour, which makes it a lovely delicacy to have during celebratory occasions.

Used to make the famous drink Thandai, Kulfi, Lassi, Burfis, and even cheesecake.

Kolhapuri Masala

A spice combination known as "kolhapuri powder" has its origins in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. It is renowned for having a strong, spicy flavor character. It's ideal for people who like their cuisine to be strong and a little spicy!

Used to make Veg Kolhapuri, Kolhapuri Usal, Kolhapuri Misal.

Kitchen King Masala

Another well-known Indian masala is called Kitchen King Masala. It is made with components like red chili, cumin, coriander, black pepper, dry ginger, black cardamom, dry mango powder, mustard, fenugreek, salt, black salt, mace, turmeric, bay leaves, and curry leaf.

Used as a seasoning in making curries like, Paneer Butter Masala, Stir-fries, vegetables.

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