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Garam Masala

Garam masala is a fragrant South Asian spice blend used to season curries, stews, vegetables, and meat dishes.

Garam Masala — illustrative ingredient image

About Garam Masala

Garam masala is a South Asian spice blend made from a variable combination of aromatic spices, commonly toasted and ground, though some versions use untoasted spices or retain coarse pieces. It seasons curries, stews, vegetables, lentils, rice preparations, meat, and poultry, either during cooking or near the end.

Its flavour and aroma depend on formulation, roast level, grind, salt, and heat. It may be warm, fragrant, sweet-spiced, peppery, or smoky, with no single fixed sensory profile. Coarse versions provide more textural variation than finely powdered blends.

The blend is usually brown to reddish-brown. Commercial products are commonly sold as powders, while household versions may be freshly ground. Toasting can deepen roasted notes, and grinding changes coarse pieces into a more even seasoning; composition and preparation vary by maker and region.

Ingredient type
seasoning

Forms & related ingredients

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Where garam masala appears

8 linked foods

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Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for garam masala

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

garam masala

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Garam Masala nutrition & diet

Garam Masala nutritional value

Reference: Garam masala

Per 100 g of the edible portion of the stated reference food.

Calories
379kcal
Protein
15.6g
Carbs
45.2g
Fat
15.1g

Reference example for the named food and preparation, per 100 g edible portion. This is not a universal value for every recipe or brand; packaged products should be compared with their own label. CoFID 2021 food code 13-829. Carbohydrate follows the dataset’s available-carbohydrate convention. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/.

Portions & preparation

Treat garam masala as a variable spice blend rather than a single standardized ingredient. Use the exact recipe or label and count the amount added to the finished dish. Whole-spice grinding, toasted spices, and premixed powders may differ in intensity, while oil, salt, or other additions belong to the preparation.

Compare the right form: Reference should match the exact garam masala blend, including its spice list, brand or recipe, and the amount used in the dish.

Diet considerations

Garam masala is generally a plant-spice blend, but recipes vary and may include non-spice ingredients or processing aids. Plain blend compatibility changes when added to meat, dairy, ghee, stock, or cereal-coated foods. Review the complete curry, stew, vegetable dish, or seasoning mixture rather than assuming one formula.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: UK Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021 — Garam masala ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .