Masala

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑːlÉ™

Origin

Hindustani मसाला
مسالا (masālā, "spice(s)"), from Persian مصالح (maṣālih, "affairs, materials, spices"), plural of مصلحت (maṣlahat, "affair, policy, best thing to do"), both from Arabic, derived from صلح (ṣálaḥa, "be fit, competent, usable").

Full definition of masala

Noun

1. Any of many blends of spices used in Indian cuisine, most often containing cardamom, coriander, mace together with pepper, nutmeg, fennel seeds, jeera etc.

Derived terms

• garam masala
• tikka masala

Usage notes

The term is often used in the names of individual dishes.

Anagrams

• salaam