Difference Between Curry Powder VS Garam Masala With Images

Garam Masala is a spice blend that is very often confused with curry powder. This post clarifies the difference between the two, and ensure that you use curry powder or garam masala in cooking Indian food the right way.

A common fact about the two spices is that while garam masala is a quintessential traditional Indian spice found in every Indian household, this does not hold true for curry powder.

Read on to find whether you can use curry powder instead of garam masala, what spices are used to make both, the taste and uses of garam masala and curry powder in Indian cuisine.

What Is Garam Masala ?

Garam masala is the king of Indian spices found in every Indian household.

It is a blend of warming spices that can be used both as a cooking spice or as a seasoning at the end of cooking to enhance the taste of a dish.

There is no set recipe for the blend as each region and household have their own garam masala recipe. The link below sets out in detail how to use garam masala for cooking, benefits, storage and spice substitutes.

What Is Curry Powder?

A spice mix identified with Indian flavours, curry powder is also a mix of spices however the quantity and types of spices used in a curry powder is different to garam masala.

There is also not set curry powder recipe, in fact it is not even an Indian spice. It is a blend created to simplify and recreate the quitessetial Indian flavours.

The post below reveals many fascinating facts about the origin of curry powder and the uses in cooking.

What Is The Difference Between Curry Powder VS Garam Masala Powder?

Now, if this question was asked to a person living in India, they would probably smirk at you and think you are some kind of a non-foodie alien!

For one, ‘curry masala or curry powder’ is not an Indian spice.and,

two, you don’t actually need curry powder to make Indian food!!

Did I just raise your eyebrows or confused you further?

Well, these statements are true, especially when it comes to traditional Indian cooking.

You see both the powders are spice blends made with many different spices.

Just like taco seasoning and fajita seasoning are two different yet similar spice blends used for making different meals, curry powder and garam masala also serve different purposes.

Let us break the differences down to the ingredients used in the two spice blends, their cooking purpose and the taste.

The infographic below sets the differences between curry vs garam masala.

You can easily share this image on your site by coping and pasting the code below. Please do me a favour and acknowledge my work 🙂

</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p><strong>Please include attribution to www.spiceitupp.com with this graphic.</strong></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p><a href=’https://spiceitupp.com/curry-powder-vs-garam-masala-powder/’><img src=’https://spiceitupp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Curry-powder-V-GMP.jpg’ alt=’Infograph highlighting the difference between Curry Powder VS Garam Masala Powder, Spices used and the use of garam masala and curry powder in cooking’ width=’735′ border=’0′ /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p>

What Ingredients Are Used In Garam Masala VS Curry Masala?

Both the spices are Indian spice blends, which means they are made by combining different spices.

However, like most Indian or any international spice mixes, it’s difficult to specify the exact recipe.

This is because there is no set recipe for garam masala powder or curry powder.

It is very rare to come across recipes that are exactly the same for making a homemade curry powder spice blend or garam masala or for that matter even commercially bought pre-mixed spices taste different.

The quantity and use of warm spices listed below are more in a garam masala mix as compared to curry powder:

Main garam masala spices :

1. Green cardamom
2. Black cardamom
3. Cloves
4. Cinnamon
5. Nutmeg

Main curry powder spices :

1. Turmeric
2. Coriander
3. Cumin
4. Green cardamom
5. Chilli powder
6. Mustard

How Does Garam Masala and Curry Powder Taste?

‘Garam masala’ is a Hindi word, which literally translates to ‘Hot Spice’.

Referring to the table above, you will notice that the spices in garam masala are sharp and robust, that is cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and in some recipes even nutmeg and peppercorn.

All these spices together give garam masala powder a very strong flavour with a slightly warming, sweet, pungent taste.

Curry powder, on the other hand, is made of milder spices. One of the main ingredients being turmeric powder.

Turmeric powder in itself does not have much taste or flavour although the benefits of turmeric are high.

Turmeric is a mild spice. It is used in curry powder recipes to give a yellow tint to the dish without the need to add any additional spices.

The other spices used in larger quantity when compared to garam masala are fenugreek powder, cumin powder, coriander powder which are all sweet mild spices.

This makes curry powder milder to taste and not as overpowering as garam masala.

The Uses Of Curry Powder and Garam Masala In Cooking 

An awareness of the flavour profiles of the two spices will help us better understand the use of curry powder and Garam Masala in cooking.

The answer to your question of ‘is Garam Masala the same as Curry powder?’, is NO it is not !

They are two separate spice blends.

Garam masala can be used both during the cooking process or at the end to give the dish a finishing touch.

Adding and stirring garam masala at the end of cooking retains and enhances the flavour of the dish.

The key to using garam masala is that it should be sparingly used. Too much of it may be an overkill of flavours!

Since curry powder is used as an Indian curry spice blend, it is used during the cooking process and added while you make the base sauce.

It’s also important to cook out the raw flavours of the pre-blended curry mix to avoid an unpleasant taste.

What Are The Similarities Between Curry Powder And Garam Masala Powder?

If the two spices are so different, then why is it that so many people get confused about them?

The reason could be that both these spices have become synonymous to Indian food.

It is treated almost like Chinese 5 spice when you cook Chinese at home or like Cajun spice if its Spanish or Cajun-style cooking.

The classification of curry powder and garam masala powder as an Indian spice blend confuses many.

This confusion causes them to use the spices in the wrong way while cooking.

The striking similarity between the two is that they are both spice blends and use almost the same spices, however, the quantity of mild spices such as turmeric, cumin and coriander is more in one than the other.

The content of spices in garam masala is more strong while curry powder is made with milder spices.

Apart from this, there is no other relatable similarity.

Can You Substitute Curry Powder For Garam Masala?

The question is ‘Can you use curry powder instead of garam masala or vice versa?’

Referring to the table of ingredients above you will notice that both contain more or less the same spices.

The difference in the recipes of the spice blends is the quantity of each spice used.

Garam masala powder contains stronger pungent spices compared to curry powder, which have mild spices.

This instantly gives both these spices different flavour profiles.

Because the flavour profile and taste of the two are different, in an ideal world it should not be used as a substitute.

But many people do, due to lack of a suitable alternative or they simply may be unaware of the subtle yet big difference between the two.

You may have come across recipes where they use both curry powder and garam masala powder.

This is because the spices can be used together in a dish complementing or highlighting the flavour.

The point to remember when using these two together is that you need to use them in moderation.

The closest substitute for curry powder will be a mix of turmeric, coriander powder and cumin powder.

While the best substitute for garam masala will be cardamon, cloves and cinnamon, either blended together as a powder or simply crushed and added whole.

So, my advice to you is NOT to use them as substitutes for the other.

If, however you are stuck for better options then you can add a tsp of curry powder instead of garam masala.

Substituting garam masala for curry powder is not ideal since it is a stronger spice.

My tip to substitute curry powder is to add 1/2 tsp of Garam Masala powder with 1 tsp each of cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder.

Where To Buy Garam Masala And Curry Powder?

Both these spices are readily available in most large supermarkets these days. Although you may find curry powder to be the more popular of the two when it comes to shelf stocking.

Your local Indian store or ethnic store will surely have both the spices.

Other than the traditional stores you can also order them online. Here is a list of few online store options for you:

US Online Stores

Switzerland & Europe Online Store 

Gewuerzland Hot Curry Powder 80 gm packed fresh ready to deliver

Price: Euro 3.40 Buy now

Gewuerzland  Garam Masala Powder 80 gm packed fresh ready to deliver

Price: Euro 3.40 Buy now

To Conclude

When it comes to buying and using curry powder and garam masala it’s important to remember that both have different flavour and taste.

Curry powder should be added during the cooking process while garam masala powder can be used both as a flavour enhancer at the end of cooking and/or during cooking.

They should not be confused as go-to spice blend for making all Indian dishes.

They are used to make certain dishes either adding just one of the blends to the dish or both in moderation.

Over to you

Let me know if this post has helped in clarifying some of the confusion you may have had working with these two spices.

If there are any other spices that confuses you then feel free to drop in a line.  I will surely write something about it.