Garam masala substitutes
Garam masala substitutes — 5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Also called garam masala powder, garam masala blend, gram masala, garam masala spice mix
Use Cumin + coriander + cardamom + cinnamon
Per 1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp cumin + ¼ tsp coriander + 1/8 tsp cardamom + 1/8 tsp cinnamon
Mix it yourself: per 1 tsp of garam masala, use ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground coriander, 1/8 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of black pepper. Curry powder will do at ¾ tsp per 1 tsp, but it contains turmeric, so it turns the dish yellow and needs to go in early with the fat rather than at the end. Do not use Chinese five-spice teaspoon for teaspoon; star anise takes over and butter chicken ends up tasting like a Chinese braise.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- If you have 30 seconds, toast the cumin and coriander in a dry pan until fragrant before mixing — untoasted ground spice is the main gap between this and the jar
- Best for —
- any dish that calls for garam masala, sweet or savoury
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
Checked 23 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what’s the garam masala doing?
Pick your caseIs the recipe adding it at the end as a finishing spice, or at the start as the base seasoning?
This is what garam masala is for, and a homemade mix does it properly: ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground coriander, 1/8 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of black pepper per teaspoon. Dish-specific amounts are at for butter chicken and for tikka masala.
½ tsp cumin + ¼ tsp coriander + 1/8 tsp cardamom + 1/8 tsp cinnamon per 1 tsp garam masala
It works at ¾ tsp per 1 tsp, with two changes you have to make. Curry powder contains turmeric, which will turn the dish yellow and tastes raw and bitter unless it cooks, so add it early with the onions rather than at the end. Compared side by side at garam masala vs curry powder.
Notes on curry powder
¾ tsp per tsp
Toast 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp black peppercorns, the seeds from 12 green cardamom pods, 1 tsp whole cloves and a broken 2-inch cinnamon stick in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking constantly, until they smell fragrant and a shade darker. Cool completely — grinding them warm gives a pasty powder — then grind. It makes about 5 tbsp. Full method at homemade garam masala recipe.
Do not use them on their own. Garam masala's backbone is cumin and coriander, and a blend with no cumin in it tastes like a dessert has fallen into the curry. If cumin is all you can add, ½ tsp of ground cumin plus 1/8 tsp of cinnamon per teaspoon is far closer than any sweet blend.
Start with what the recipe is doing. If the garam masala goes in at the end, mix ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp coriander, 1/8 tsp cardamom and 1/8 tsp cinnamon per teaspoon and add that at the end too. If all you own is curry powder, use three quarters of the amount and move it to the start of the cooking, and accept a yellow sauce. If all you own is a sweet baking blend, add cumin first and only a pinch of the blend — cumin and coriander are the backbone, and no substitute without them will taste right.
Garam masala is a finishing aroma: its spices are toasted before grinding, so it goes in at the end. It is not a base seasoning, and it carries no turmeric, no chilli and no colour.
Aroma & flavor identityprimary
The blend is dominated by cumin and coriander with cardamom, clove and cinnamon on top, and because it was toasted before grinding, its aroma is already developed — twenty minutes of simmering flattens it, which is why recipes add it in the last five.
Every option, one card
Ranked · per 1 tsp garam masala| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 tsp garam masala | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumin + coriander + cardamom + cinnamonany dish that calls for garam masala, sweet or savoury | ½ tsp ground cumin + ¼ tsp ground coriander + 1/8 tsp ground cardamom + 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon + a pinch of black pepperTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Curry powdercurries where a yellow sauce is fine | ¾ tspYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Allspice + cumin + black pepperwhen you have no cardamom or coriander | ½ tsp ground cumin + ¼ tsp ground allspice + a pinch of black pepperYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Ras el hanoutlamb and chickpea dishes, tagine-style braises | ¾ tspYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Chinese five-spicewhen there is genuinely nothing else in the cupboard | ¼ tsp five-spice powder plus ½ tsp ground cuminYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon + cloves + nutmeg | not a swap — nothing on its own — add ½ tsp ground cumin first, then 1/8 tsp of the sweet blendNot for this | Not for this |
Cumin + coriander + cardamom + cinnamon
slightly flatter and less rounded than the jar
The four spices that actually dominate the blend, in roughly the proportions a north Indian garam masala uses, so it lands close and contains no turmeric.
- Covers
- Aroma & flavor identity
- Amount
- ½ tsp ground cumin + ¼ tsp ground coriander + 1/8 tsp ground cardamom + 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon + a pinch of black pepper for 1 tsp garam masala
- Then
- if you have 30 seconds, toast the cumin and coriander in a dry pan until fragrant before mixing — untoasted ground spice is the main gap between this and the jar
- Best for
- any dish that calls for garam masala, sweet or savoury, when you own the individual spices rather than blends, finishing a curry in the last five minutes
- Taste
- slightly flatter and less rounded than the jar, because commercial blends toast their spices before grinding and these were not
- Texture
- identical, all fine powders
- Look
- no visible difference in a finished curry
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
- Add a pinch of ground cloves if you have them — an eighth of a teaspoon per teaspoon at most, since cloves overpower quickly.
- Add it in the last 5 minutes, off the boil, exactly as you would the jar.
- If you have no cardamom, use ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp coriander and ¼ tsp cinnamon instead; it is still much closer than any pre-made sweet blend.
Every garam masala family recipe is different, so there is no single correct formula. What matters is that cumin and coriander lead and the sweet spices support — get that the right way round and the dish tastes right.
Nothing to limit. This is a full replacement, and the only difference is the toasting.
Curry powder
earthier and slightly bitter from the turmeric and fenugreek
A British blend built on coriander and turmeric with cumin and fenugreek behind it, so it overlaps with garam masala and brings two things garam masala does not have: turmeric and a cooking-spice role.
- Covers
- Aroma & flavor identity
- Amount
- ¾ tsp curry powder for 1 tsp garam masala
- Then
- add it early, with the onions in the fat, and fry it for a full minute — not at the end like garam masala
- Best for
- curries where a yellow sauce is fine, when it is the only Indian-style blend in the cupboard, dishes with a long simmer, where a finishing spice would be wasted
- Taste
- earthier and slightly bitter from the turmeric and fenugreek, with less of the cardamom and clove perfume
- Texture
- identical, both are fine powders
- Look
- the sauce turns yellow-gold instead of red-brown. Very obvious in butter chicken, tikka masala or anything with cream in it, and it will stain a wooden spoon
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
- Use three quarters of the amount. Curry powder is more assertive per spoon because of the fenugreek and turmeric.
- Add it at the start rather than the end. Raw turmeric tastes chalky and faintly bitter, and it needs a minute in fat to lose that.
- Cut any turmeric the recipe lists separately by three quarters, or leave it out.
These two blends get treated as interchangeable and the two facts that matter never get stated together: curry powder is a cooking spice with turmeric in it, garam masala is a finishing spice without. Swapping one for the other changes when you add it as well as what the dish looks like.
Not where the colour of the sauce matters, and never sprinkled on at the end the way garam masala is.
Allspice + cumin + black pepper
clove-forward and slightly sweeter, with less of the floral cardamom lift
Allspice covers the cinnamon-clove-nutmeg corner of the blend in one jar, and the cumin supplies the savoury backbone allspice has none of.
- Covers
- Aroma & flavor identity
- Amount
- ½ tsp ground cumin + ¼ tsp ground allspice + a pinch of black pepper for 1 tsp garam masala
- Then
- stir in during the last 5 minutes
- Best for
- when you have no cardamom or coriander, lamb, beef and meatball dishes rather than delicate ones, Middle Eastern recipes as well as Indian ones
- Texture
- identical, both are fine powders
- Look
- no visible difference
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
- Keep allspice to a quarter of the total, or the clove note takes over.
- Add ¼ tsp of ground coriander if you have it — it is what makes the blend taste Indian rather than Caribbean.
This works because allspice is doing the job of three of garam masala's minor spices at once, which is exactly what allspice is good for.
A quarter allspice at most, and better in a robust meat dish than in a delicate chicken or paneer curry.
Ras el hanout
floral, with rose or dried ginger showing through
The North African equivalent — cumin, coriander, cinnamon and pepper with rose, ginger and sometimes turmeric — so it overlaps heavily and points slightly floral.
- Covers
- Aroma & flavor identity
- Amount
- ¾ tsp ras el hanout for 1 tsp garam masala
- Then
- add it in the last 5 minutes, as you would garam masala
- Best for
- lamb and chickpea dishes, tagine-style braises, when you own it and not garam masala, recipes with dried fruit or preserved lemon in them
- Taste
- floral, with rose or dried ginger showing through, and less of the toasted-cumin depth
- Texture
- identical, both are fine powders
- Look
- usually no change; yellower if your blend contains turmeric
- Pantry
- Special trip
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
- Use three quarters of the amount; blends vary and some are strongly floral.
- Check whether yours contains turmeric — if it does, add it earlier so the turmeric cooks, and expect a yellower sauce.
Ras el hanout and garam masala are both warm finishing blends built on cumin and coriander, which is why this is a closer swap than curry powder despite being less familiar.
Three quarters of the amount, and not where the dish is already perfumed with rose water or saffron.
Chinese five-spice
liquorice and a numbing tingle from the Sichuan pepper
Shares cinnamon and cloves with garam masala and is otherwise dominated by star anise and Sichuan pepper, which is a flavour no Indian dish contains.
- Misses
- Aroma & flavor identity — not covered
- Amount
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder plus ½ tsp ground cumin for 1 tsp garam masala
- Then
- add both in the last 5 minutes and taste before adding any more five-spice
- Best for
- when there is genuinely nothing else in the cupboard, pork and duck dishes, where the anise is at home, dishes with soy or hoisin already in them
- Taste
- liquorice and a numbing tingle from the Sichuan pepper — flavours a butter chicken has never had
- Texture
- identical, both are fine powders
- Look
- slightly darker sauce
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
- A quarter of the amount, not the same amount. Star anise is powerful and unmistakable.
- Add ½ tsp of ground cumin alongside it, or the dish will taste Chinese rather than Indian.
- Leave out any cinnamon and cloves the recipe lists; five-spice has both.
An earlier version of this page listed five-spice at 1:1. At that amount the dish becomes a Chinese braise, which is a fine thing to eat and not what the recipe said.
One quarter of the amount, and never in a creamy tomato curry like butter chicken or tikka masala.
Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon + cloves + nutmeg
like a dessert spice has fallen into the curry
The sweet half of garam masala with the savoury half missing: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with no cumin, no coriander and no pepper.
- Misses
- Aroma & flavor identity — not covered
- Amount
- Nothing on its own — add ½ tsp ground cumin first, then 1/8 tsp of the sweet blendper 1 tsp garam masala
- Best for
- nothing that calls for garam masala, listed because these blends get recommended for it, and because nobody arrives at this page while baking a dessert
- Taste
- like a dessert spice has fallen into the curry — sweet, cinnamon-led, with nothing savoury underneath
- Texture
- identical, both are fine powders
- Look
- no visible difference, which is why the mistake only shows up when you taste it
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
- If you have already added it, stir in ½ tsp of ground cumin per teaspoon used, plus black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, and simmer 10 minutes.
An earlier version of this page listed a cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg blend for garam masala with 'desserts' and 'baking' among its best uses. Nobody looks up a garam masala substitute while making a dessert.
Do not use a sweet baking blend as the whole substitute. Cumin first, sweet spice second, and only a pinch of it.
Don’t swap it here
4 cases- Using a sweet baking blend — pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or cinnamon with cloves and nutmeg — as the whole substitute in butter chicken, tikka masala or a dal.Use ½ tsp ground cumin plus ¼ tsp ground coriander per teaspoon, and add no more than 1/8 tsp of the sweet blend on top.
- Substituting Chinese five-spice teaspoon for teaspoon.Use ¼ tsp of five-spice plus ½ tsp of ground cumin per teaspoon of garam masala, and taste before adding more.
- Adding curry powder at the very end of cooking, in garam masala's slot.Add curry powder early with the onions and fry it for a full minute. If the dish is already finished, fry the powder in a spoonful of oil in a separate pan for a minute and stir that in.
- Assuming garam masala and curry powder are the same thing in either direction.Swap them if you must, but move the timing with them, and expect a colour change in one direction and a paler sauce in the other.
If it went wrong
3 fixes- The curry tastes sweet, like a cinnamon dessert.A sweet baking blend went in where garam masala belonged, so the cumin and coriander backbone is missing.Per teaspoon of the wrong blend you added, stir in ½ tsp ground cumin and ¼ tsp ground coriander, a good pinch of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, then simmer 10 minutes. Extra salt and a spoonful of tomato paste fried in oil also pull it back towards savoury.
- The sauce is yellow when it should have been red-brown.Curry powder went in instead of garam masala. Turmeric colours everything it touches.You cannot remove the colour. Add 1 tbsp of tomato paste fried in a little oil for two minutes, or a spoonful of Kashmiri chilli powder bloomed in oil, both of which push the sauce back towards red. It will taste good; it will not look like the photograph.
- The dish tastes dusty and raw after you added the spice at the end.A ground blend containing turmeric or raw cumin was added late and never met hot fat.Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small pan, add 1 tsp of the same spice, fry for 45 seconds until it smells sharp rather than dusty, and stir that back into the pot. This trick works for any spice added too late.
Measure it
6 measures- Homemade garam masala, per teaspoon½ tsp cumin + ¼ tsp coriander + 1/8 tsp cardamom + 1/8 tsp cinnamon + a pinch of pepperCumin and coriander lead; the sweet spices support. Getting that order right matters more than matching any particular recipe.
- Whole-spice batch2 tbsp coriander seeds + 1 tbsp cumin seeds + 2 tsp peppercorns + seeds from 12 green cardamom pods + 1 tsp cloves + a 2-inch cinnamon stickToast in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking constantly, until fragrant and a shade darker. Cool completely before grinding — warm spices grind to a paste. Makes about 5 tbsp.
- 1 tsp garam masalaabout 2 gA curry for four usually takes 1 to 2 tsp, added at the end.
- When to add itthe last 5 minutes, off the boilThe spices were toasted before grinding, so their aroma is already developed and long simmering only drives it off.
- Garam masala versus curry powderno turmeric, no chilli, added at the endCurry powder has turmeric and usually chilli and is added at the start. That is the whole difference, and it decides both the colour and the timing.
- Cardamom pods to groundabout 12 green pods = 1 tsp groundUse the seeds only; discard the papery husks.
Questions
6 questionsWhat can I use instead of garam masala?
Mix it: per 1 tsp of garam masala, use ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground coriander, 1/8 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of black pepper. Add a pinch of ground cloves if you have them. Stir it into the dish in the last five minutes, exactly as you would the jar. If you have no cardamom, use ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp coriander and ¼ tsp cinnamon — still much closer than any pre-made sweet blend.
Can I use curry powder instead of garam masala?
Yes, at ¾ tsp per 1 tsp, with two changes. Curry powder contains turmeric, so the sauce will turn yellow-gold — very obvious in butter chicken or anything creamy — and turmeric tastes chalky and slightly bitter unless it cooks, so add it early with the onions rather than at the end. Cut any separate turmeric in the recipe to a quarter.
What is the difference between garam masala and curry powder?
Garam masala is a north Indian blend of warm spices — cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper — with no turmeric and no chilli, and it is added at the end of cooking as a finishing aroma. Curry powder is a British invention built on coriander and turmeric, usually with chilli and fenugreek, and it is added at the start as a base seasoning. The turmeric is why one turns food yellow and the other does not.
Can I use Chinese five-spice instead of garam masala?
Only at a quarter of the amount, and with cumin alongside it. Five-spice shares cinnamon and cloves with garam masala but is dominated by star anise and Sichuan pepper, so at a full teaspoon a butter chicken tastes like a Chinese braise, liquorice note and all. Use ¼ tsp five-spice plus ½ tsp ground cumin per teaspoon.
Is garam masala spicy?
Not in the sense of hot. It contains no chilli, so the heat in an Indian dish comes from chilli powder, fresh chillies or cayenne rather than from garam masala. What it does contain is black pepper, which gives a mild warmth — the word garam refers to warming spices, not to burn.
What is garam masala made of?
It varies by region and by family, but a typical north Indian blend is cumin, coriander, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper, sometimes with nutmeg, mace, bay or black cardamom. The spices are toasted whole and then ground, which is why the blend is added at the end of cooking rather than fried at the start.
Tips for substituting garam masala
6 tips- Add garam masala in the last five minutes, off the boil. Its spices were toasted before grinding, so simmering it for half an hour throws away what you paid for.
- Garam masala contains no turmeric and no chilli. That is the single clearest difference from curry powder, and it is why swapping in curry powder turns the sauce yellow.
- Curry powder is a cooking spice and garam masala is a finishing spice, so when you swap one for the other you have to move when it goes into the pan as well.
- Make your own from whole spices if you have ten minutes: toast 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp peppercorns, the seeds from 12 green cardamom pods, 1 tsp cloves and a broken 2-inch cinnamon stick over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, cool completely, then grind. It makes about 5 tbsp and beats any jar.
- Every family's garam masala is different, so there is no single authentic ratio to match. What is consistent is that cumin and coriander lead and the sweet spices support.
- If a spice went in too late and the dish tastes dusty, fry 1 tsp of it in a tablespoon of oil for 45 seconds in a separate pan and stir that back in. This works for any ground spice.