masala

plural masalas · plural masale · alternative obsolete mussalla

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

   When she cooked, she reached out for bottles and masalas without glancing up.

   2020, Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, Hamish Hamilton, page 3

   1 more example

   A couple of vegetables, sambar (spicy and sour lentils and vegetables boiled with masalas and spices), rasam (a hot and fiery lentil soup-like dish) and curds (yoghurt) served with heaps of rice and eaten in that order. […] Basically, it’s a juicy naan bread with an egg coating, stuffed with mutton or chicken, rolled up and sprinkled with a unique masala that gives it its special flavor.

   2017 July 12, Sanjiv Khamgaonkar, “40 Mumbai foods we can’t live without”, in CNN

2. countableuncountableAny dish prepared with such spices.

   We ordered two lamb bhunas and a masala.

3. countableuncountableAny powder of ground ingredients, not necessarily used in cuisine.