Garam Masala vs Tikka Masala – The Differences

Anyone who has never made Indian food from scratch may find the idea a bit overwhelming. Cuisine originating in India and Middle to Southeast Asia often uses a long list of spices in its dishes.

The spices are often the same in various recipes, but the ratio varies, bringing a whole new flavor to each dish.

Garam masala and tikka masala are two dishes that sound very similar, use very similar ingredients, and even share a similar mouth-watering aroma, but they are also very different.

So what is the difference between garam masala and tikka masala? Garam masala is a blend of spices used primarily as a finishing spice blend and as a flavor complement in other recipes. Tikka masala, on the other hand, refers to a specific dish that often uses garam masala spices in combination with other flavors and a tomato sauce base.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the types of spices used in garam masala vs. tikka masala, and the best ways to cook with each.

What is garam masala?

In Hindi, garam means “spicy” and masala means “mixture of spices.” It is a very common mixture in Indian cooking and is used to flavor everything from curries to soups to different lentil dishes.

By roasting a variety of different whole spices to give off a heavenly aroma, and then grinding them into a powder, you get a blend of spices that is traditionally believed to warm the body and boost metabolism.

Garam Masala Ingredients

The ratio of the ingredients will be slightly different depending on the preferences of each cook and the availability of spices. If your mix comes from the northern corners of India, it will probably be milder and sweeter, becoming spicier as the mix comes from more southerly parts of the country.

Garam masala usually consists of mixing a certain proportion of the following whole spices, once roasted:

• Cinnamon
• Mace
• coriander seeds
• Cumin seeds
• cardamom pods, and
• Peppercorns

The result is spicy, sweet and earthy, with a magnificent aroma.

If you’re in a pinch and want the warmth of a garam masala but don’t have the mix, you can combine allspice with cumin. Use about four times as much ground cumin as Allspice until the amount equals the amount of garam masala you need, or to taste.

The best brand of garam masala

The best brand of garam masala is going to depend slightly on personal preference. No two brands are exactly the same.

This will be even more pronounced if you’re used to traditional Indian cooking, where the spices are all mixed together at the time of cooking, rather than sprinkled from a jar.

Rani Garam Masala - Our favorite brand of Garam Marsala

The favorite is Rani.  They use 11 spices in their mix and it turns out to be pure magic. They do not include salt in the mix, nor preservatives or fillers.

In addition to the traditional ingredients, they have added ginger and nutmeg, as well as a bay leaf. They also use green and black cardamom to further develop the flavor. Your friends and family will swear that your dish has been cooked by a professional Indian chef.

Main features:

• There are no filler ingredients that are sometimes used to reduce production costs, only high quality spices.
• Developed from North Indian recipes, this blend is mildly spicy and not overpowering for those who are sensitive to excessive heat.
• This masala has no preservatives or artificial flavors, is non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan.

The biggest downside : If you’re used to traditional Indian cooking or garam masala from further south, this mix might be a little cumin-heavy for you. It brings out the earthy quality of the flavor, but also dampens the warmth and heat that more peppercorns would bring.

What is Tikka Masala?

Tikka Masala, while clearly an East Asian-inspired creation, is one of the most popular dishes in the entire UK. It is so popular in England that many debate whether it is truly Indian or South Asian cuisine.

It may have developed in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, or emigrant cooks from South Asia may have brought the flavors of their home country(ies) to England and actually spawned a hybrid dish within the Kingdom. United.

In any case, there’s a good reason it’s popular in the UK: it’s fucking delicious, mate. It’s probably also because tikka masala is a combination of two great British loves: gravy-soaked meat and Indian food.

Traditionally made with chicken, tikka masala is made by marinating chicken in spices and yogurt before baking and then serving it in an often creamy, tomato-based curry sauce.

It’s actually more like butter chicken than garam masala, although it does include garam masala in the marinade.

Since many cooks do not have the patience or knowledge to create tikka masala from scratch, many pre-made sauces have been developed that take much of the work out of combining spices.

Tikka Masala Spices

The spices that were originally used to marinate the chicken are usually

• garam masala
• a lot of garlic
• Ginger
• extra cumin
• Peppers

Once the chicken is cooked, it is simmered in a curry sauce that has more spices, including more of all of the above, as well as turmeric and chili powder. Add to these spices a little fresh coriander, tomato sauce and tomato puree, and a little heavy cream.

Spices in Garam Masala vs. Tikka Masala [Table]

Related questions

We hope this article has helped you understand the differences between garam masala and tikka masala. We also have some related questions for you to refer to. We hope they are useful to you.

What is a simmer sauce?

Simmer sauces are any kind of sauce that you can add a combination of vegetables, meat, beans, seafood, or tofu to and then just let it simmer. They are usually eaten in one sitting, or may be served over rice or noodles.

You can find a wide variety of prepackaged simmer sauces, especially in the international food aisle of your grocery store. Indian and African curries are very common and delicious.

What is curry powder?

Curry powder is a common Indian spice blend and is used in many Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines.

It is a blend of spices, using in some variation dry mustard, cayenne pepper or chili powder, coriander seeds, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and, for the characteristic yellow color, turmeric.

Garam Masala vs Curry Powder - What is the difference?

The biggest difference between garam masala and curry powder is the use, or absence, of turmeric.

The curry has a turmeric base that provides a mild flavor and a powerful yellow color. Garam masala, on the other hand, has a very strong flavor profile and many cooks add it to curries to enhance the flavor of a curried dish.

Curry is often used throughout the cooking process, while garam masala is more of a finishing spice, added only when the dish is fully cooked and almost ready to serve.