masala

Borrowed from Urdu مصالحہ‎ (maṣālḥa, maṣāliḥa, “spice(s)”) / Hindi मसाला (masālā), from Persian مصالح‎ (masâlih, “affairs, materials, spices”), plural of مصلحت‎ (maslahat, “affair, policy, best thing to do”), both from Arabic, derived from صَلَحَ‎ (ṣalaḥa, “be fit, competent, usable”).

• IPA^(key): /məˈsɑːlə/

• Audio (southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːlə

masala (countable and uncountable, plural masalas)

1. Any of many blends of spices used in Indian cuisine, most often containing cardamom, coriander, mace together with pepper, nutmeg, fennel seeds, jeera etc.
   • 2020, Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, Hamish Hamilton, page 3:

     When she cooked, she reached out for bottles and masalas without glancing up.

2. Any dish prepared with such spices.

   We ordered two lamb bhunas and a masala.

3. Any powder of ground ingredients, not necessarily used in cuisine.

• mussalla (obsolete)

• garam masala
• masala chai
• tikka masala

• Salaam, Salama, salaam

From Greek μασαλάς (masalás), from Ottoman Turkish مشعله‎ (meşale), from Arabic مِشْعَل‎ (mišʕal).

masala f (plural masalale)

1. (dated) torch

   Synonyms: faclă, torță

Borrowed from Arabic مَسْأَلَة‎ (masʔala).

masala (plural masalalar)

1. question, problem