My Mom Gets Asked for Her Curry Recipe All the Time—Here’s Her Secret Ingredient

On any given day, you can find me craving a warm, spicy curry. It’s a craving I’ve had all my life—I grew up in an Indian immigrant family, and my mom was always enthusiastic about whipping up a delicious curry, whether on a weeknight or for a special occasion. As an adult, trying out different curry recipes makes me feel connected to her; we live over 600 miles apart, so the easiest way to bring a piece of home back to New York City is by brewing together a mixture of meat, herbs, spices, and lots of love. 

While many amateur and professional chefs opt for curry powder to give the dish its signature flavor, my mom prefers another spice blend that imparts an even more complex flavor: garam masala. Garam masala—translating literally to “hot spices”—is a common ingredient in South Asian dishes that blends together a variety of whole spices, including cinnamon, mace, coriander, cumin, and cardamom to impart an earthy flavor.

What Is Garam Masala, Exactly?

Unlike my mom, I’m not an excellent cook. I rely on recipes to walk me through the dishes I crave the most (or a three-hour FaceTime call where my mom explains how to cook rice); but adding just a touch of garam masala to my curries has upgraded their flavor to the next level. Garam masala is believed to have originated in Northern India during the Mongol Empire to help spice merchants add flavor and warmth to their food, and its legacy lives on. Today, the spice blend is used in cooking across South Asia and the Middle East.

Garam masala aims to be both flavorful and heated, whereas curry powder predominantly tastes like turmeric and can be slightly overpowering in already flavorful dishes. The next time you’re making another traditional curry, consider substituting curry powder for garam masala—and taste the difference for yourself.

Recipes to Enhance Using Garam Masala

Although curries are the most common dish for garam masala, it can also be used to enhance meat, lentil, and rice dishes, as well as marinades for meats and vegetables. Below, find five delicious recipes that would be delicious with some added garam masala: