Group · Herbs & spices
Garam masala
Garam masala is the base blend of North Indian cooking. « Garam » means hot, but in the Ayurvedic sense of the term: spices that warm the body, not those that burn the mouth. It does not contain chilli, in fact. It includes cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cumin, coriander, mace and black pepper.
On nutrition facts, the entry gives 327 kcal per 100 g, 37.8 g of carbohydrate, 27.7 g of fibre and 12.6 g of protein, from the Ciqual line « Spice (average food) ». It is an openly acknowledged average: the table does not measure any masala in particular.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 327 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1370 kJ |
| Protein | 12,6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 37,8 g |
| Fat | 7,9 g |
| Fibre | 27,7 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Manganese13,6 mg680 %
- Vitamin K1116 µg155 %
- Iron18 mg129 %
- Copper0,93 mg93 %
- Potassium1430 mg72 %
- Calcium479 mg60 %
- Magnesium186 mg50 %
- Vitamin E4,76 mg40 %
- Vitamin B9dietary folate equivalents26,3 µg
See the other 14 nutrients
- Vitamin B51,65 mg28 %
- Phosphorus190 mg27 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,53 g27 %
- Vitamin B60,31 mg22 %
- Selenium9,18 µg17 %
- Zinc1,63 mg16 %
- Omega-6 LA1,49 g15 %
- Vitamin B10,12 mg11 %
- Vitamin B31,52 mg10 %
- Vitamin B20,09 mg6 %
- Iodine9,12 µg6 %
- Vitamin A46,1 µg6 %
- Vitamin C4,29 mg5 %
- Vitamin D0,09 µg2 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
The rule that sets garam masala apart from other blends: it goes in at the end. Curry powder is fried at the start; garam masala is sprinkled in during the last few minutes, off the heat if possible. Cooked too long, it turns bitter and loses the cardamom, which is exactly what you want from it.
One teaspoon for four, which is 2 g, 6.5 kcal and 0.55 g of fibre, practically nothing on the scale of a meal. But it is enough to shift a dish of red lentils or chickpeas from one register to another, and a dish with flavour does not need cream.
It is not a curry. A common confusion in France: curry powder is a British invention designed to colour and flavour an entire dish; garam masala is a finishing seasoning, most often without turmeric, and therefore without the yellow colour. The two are not interchangeable.
Making your own changes everything. Dry-toasting the whole seeds for two minutes and then grinding them gives a blend that bears no comparison with a jar opened six months ago. It is ten minutes of work for a jar that lasts three months.
For active people and vegetarians. It makes pulse dishes appetising, and these are the basis of a plant-based diet with enough protein. It is an indirect but real role: people keep eating what they enjoy.
Sources
Average nutrition values per 100 g, given for guidance (spices and condiments are eaten in small amounts; values vary by brand and preparation).