Print Post - Difference Between Curry Powder VS Garam Masala

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What is the difference between curry powder vs garam masala powder? Now, if this question was asked to a person living in India, they would probably smirk at you and think you are some kind of a non-foodie alien! For one, ‘Curry masala or Curry Powder’ is not an Indian spice and two, you don’t actually need curry powder to make Indian food!

Well, these statements are true, especially when it comes to traditional Indian cooking. You see both the powders are spice blends made with many different spices. Just like Taco seasoning and Fajita seasoning are two different yet similar spice blends used for making different meals, Curry Powder and Garam Masala also serve different purposes.

Let us break the differences down to the beginnings, the ingredients used in the two spice blends, their cooking purpose and the taste.

Masala VS Curry – A Battle Of Terms
As mentioned earlier, curry powder and garam masala powder are both spice blends. Meaning they are made using different types of spices. But where does the word curry and Masala come from? Are they same or different?

Let’s begin with their origins first!

In terms of definition, ‘Curry’ is a generalised term used to simplify a type of dish for non-natives. Curry powder is the innovation of the Brits. It’s a spice blend which the British tossed up together to reduce the complexity of spices used in Indian cooking, although the authenticity part may be debatable!

‘Masala’, on the other hand, is the literal translation of ‘spices’ in Hindi. It is also a term used for cooking the main base ingredients of an Indian dish. Garam Masala Powder is an authentic and traditional spice blend used by every Indian either living in the subcontinent or outside! You will never come across an Indian household (provided that they cook Indian regularly) without a Garam Masala stocked in their spice cabinet (unless they run out of it).

The Spices Used In Curry Masala VS Garam Masala
Both the spices are Indian spice blends, which means they are made by combining different Indian spices. However, like most Indian or any international spice blends, it’s difficult to specify the exact recipe. This is because there is no set recipe for Garam Masala powder or Curry powder.

It is very rare to come across recipes that are exactly the same for making a homemade garam masala or curry powder spice blend or for that matter even commercially bought pre-mixed spices.

This infographic below will help in characterising and simplifying the most common spices used for making Garam Masala and Curry powder.

curry masala

How Does Garam Masala And Curry Powder Taste?
‘Garam Masala‘ is a Hindi word, which literally translates to ‘Hot Spice’. Referring to the table above, you will notice that Garam Masala use spices that are sharp and robust, that is cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and in some recipes even nutmeg and peppercorn. All these spices together give Garam Masala powder a very strong flavour with a slightly warming, sweet, pungent taste.

Curry powder, on the other hand, is made of milder spices. One of the main ingredients being Turmeric powder. Turmeric powder in itself does not have much taste or flavour although very high in nutritional value. Turmeric a mild spice. It is used in curry powder recipes to give a yellow tint to the dish without the need to add any additional spices.

The other spices used in larger quantity when compared to Garam Masala are fenugreek powder, cumin powder, coriander powder which is all sweet mild spices. This makes curry powder milder to taste and not as overpowering as Garam Masala.

The Uses Of Curry Powder And Garam Masala In Cooking
An awareness of the flavour profiles of the two spices will help us better understand the use of Curry powder and Garam Masala in cooking.

The answer to your question of ‘is Garam Masala the same as Curry powder?’ is NO! They are two separate spice blends.

Garam Masala can be used both during the cooking process or at the end to give the dish a finishing touch. Adding and stirring Garam Masala at the end of cooking retains and enhances the flavour of the dish. The key to using Garam Masala is that it should be sparingly used. Too much of it may be an overkill of flavours!

Since Curry powder is used as an Indian curry spice blend, it is used during the cooking process and added while you make the base sauce. It’s also important to cook out the raw flavours of the pre-blended curry mix to avoid an unpleasant taste.

What Are The Similarities Between Curry Powder And Garam Masala Powder
If the two spices are so different, then why is it that so many people get confused about them? The reason could be that both these spices have become synonymous to Indian food. It is treated almost like Chinese 5 spice when you cook Chinese at home or like Cajun spice if its Spanish or Cajun-style cooking.

The classification of Curry powder and Garam Masala powder as an Indian spice blend confuses many. This confusion causes them to use the spices in the wrong way while cooking. The striking similarity between the two is that they are both spice blends and use almost the same spices, however, the quantity of mild spices such as turmeric, cumin and coriander is more in one than the other. The content of spices in Garam Masala is more strong while Curry powder is made with milder spices.

Apart from this, there is no other relatable similarity.

Source: spiceitupp.com