The blends most often exported from India are garam masala, curry powder, tandoori and tikka masala, chaat masala, chana masala, biryani masala, and South Indian powders such as sambar and rasam. Demand follows the Indian diaspora and the restaurant trade, so the mix differs from one market to another.
Every manufacturer has its own recipe. The name on a pack tells you the style of blend, not a fixed formula.
The core blends
- Garam masala: a warm, aromatic blend of spices such as coriander, cumin, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon or cassia and cloves. Usually added near the end of cooking in North Indian dishes.
- Curry powder: a blend developed largely for cooks outside India, usually built on turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek and chilli. Sold mild, medium and hot.
- Tandoori and tikka masala: for marinating meat or paneer with yoghurt before roasting. Often red from chilli or paprika, and sometimes from added colour, which you need to check.
- Chaat masala: tangy and salty, usually with dry mango powder (amchur) and black salt. Sprinkled on snacks, salads and fruit.
- Chana masala: for chickpea curries, often with amchur and sometimes pomegranate seed powder.
- Biryani and pulao masala: aromatic blends for rice dishes, often with mace, nutmeg, bay leaf and star anise.
- Sambar and rasam powder: South Indian blends for lentil and tamarind dishes, often with roasted lentils, chilli, coriander and curry leaves.
- Chai masala: ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper for spiced tea.
What decides which blends sell where
Diaspora shops in the UK, the Gulf, North America and parts of Europe stock the widest range, in styles their customers recognise from home. Mainstream supermarkets and food service usually carry fewer, simpler blends, with curry powder and garam masala at the top.
Food manufacturers often want something else again: a custom seasoning for a ready meal or snack, not a named masala. Most grinding units can make custom masala blends to your recipe.
Points to check before you choose a range
- Salt. Chaat masala and some meat masalas contain salt or black salt. Others do not. This affects labelling and any low-sodium claim.
- Allergens. Mustard and celery are declared allergens in the EU and UK. Some blends contain them, and others are made on lines that handle them. See declaring allergens in spice blends.
- Colour. Red blends may contain added colour. Agree in writing whether any colour is allowed, and which, for your market.
- Onion and garlic. Many blends contain them. Some buyers want versions without them for religious or dietary reasons.
- Heat. Agree a target chilli level and keep an approved reference sample.
- Ingredient origin. Some ingredients, such as star anise or cassia, may be imported into India before blending. Ask for origin if your customers care.
- Pack size. Diaspora retail, catering and industrial buyers want very different packs, and the minimum order changes with each.
Starting a range
A new importer usually does better with a short range of five or six blends in consistent quality than with twenty names from several factories. Collect samples of each blend from two or three units, cook them in the same dish and compare. Then fix the approved sample, the specification and the label before the first order.
Where we come in
We find grinding units that make the blends you want, collect comparable samples and have them tested at an NABL-accredited lab. To plan a first range, ask for a free sourcing review.