masala

noun ma·sa·la \ mä-ˈsä-lä , -lə , mə- \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of masala

: a varying blend of spices used in Indian cooking

Recent Examples of masala from the Web

The Grape Leaf’s menu boasts all of the more well known Middle Eastern favorites — hummus, falafel, lamb in various preparations — in addition to lesser known specialties like curry masala, babronia, and molokhai chicken stew.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "The Grape Leaf's food - and patio - will take you to the Mediterranean," 6 June 2018
Bombay Benedict, with toasted brioche, pickled hollandaise, poached eggs and veg masala bhaji, from Pondicheri in the NoMad neighborhood.

— charles passy, WSJ, "Breakfast Lasagna Benedict? New York Chefs Offer Fresh Takes on Classic Egg Dish," 10 May 2018
Every dish — from the eggplant baingan bharta to the chickpea chana masala to the mushroom matar in tomato cream — tasted right.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: Simi’s India Cuisine makes all-you-can-eat look good," 22 Feb. 2018
Since 2012, Guy has knit together these memories with ruminations about Cardi B and recipes for pilau masala on her popular food blog, Chocolate for Basil.

— aliza abarbanel, Bon Appetit, "Jerrelle Guy Is Bringing #BlackGirlMagic Into The Kitchen," 14 Feb. 2018
Chicken tikka masala, an Indian dish, was the lesson this week, and few students at the schools around the region were familiar with the dish, or with Indian food in general.

— maureen fitzgerald, Philly.com, "Trying new foods, and learning lessons along the way," 17 Apr. 2018
And for more substantial appetites there's a wedge salad, cottage pie, chicken tikka masala, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and a clever take on canned ravioli: Chef Boyar-Ben's four-cheese ravioli in tomato sauce served in a tin can.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "Tea + Victory board game café opens April 10 in the Heights area," 6 Apr. 2018
Patel hopes to open Besharam in May. For the uninitiated, Patel’s Rasoi is known for eclectic takes on traditional Western Indian fare, like channa masala with fenugreek leaves, or naan made with blue cheese.

— justin phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "Heena Patel to open Besharam in Dogpatch Alta space," 5 Apr. 2018
Today GrubHub does indeed have an algorithm that can look across a country’s worth of take-out orders and tell a user what Indian joint near them delivers the most popular chicken tikka masala.

— adam rogers, WIRED, "How GrubHub Analyzed 4,000 Dishes to Predict Your Next Order," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'masala.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.