Ras El Hanout Vs Garam Masala: What's The Difference?

Your spice cabinet is like a passport of sorts, allowing you to sample the flavors and ingredients of different cuisines and cook dishes from around the globe. As such, building a robust collection of both staple spices, and more underrated and unique ones is important.

If you're shopping for new additions to step up your seasoning game, look no further than garam masala and ras el hanout. Although these spice mixes may have similar colors and ingredients, there are some major differences between the two that warrant adding both to your spice cabinet. Garam masala, a popular spice blend in India, usually contains between five and 10 different spices, though common components include cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and cumin. Although these spices are complex and fragrant, they don't create an overwhelming or palate-searing heat, which makes the mix ideal for adding to curries and other gently warming dishes.

Ras el hanout, on the other hand, contains a more extensive lineup of spices — as much as 20 or more different varieties, of which you'll usually find at least these common additions to the spices listed in garam masala: Ginger, coriander, nutmeg, aniseed, and turmeric. It is popular in North African countries like Morocco. The addition of ginger and sometimes chili give it more bite than garam masala, though it's not as tongue-torchingly hot as other spice blends, like a cayenne-heavy Cajun seasoning. 

As with any sort of spice blend, you need to be tactical about how you use it. Both garam masala and ras el hanout can add depth and complexity to your favorite dishes, though not in the same way. Ras el hanout, for example, shines on Middle Eastern-style dishes, especially on proteins and vegetables. It's often used in tagines, and it also plays a central role in Moroccan carrot salads paired with regional spice pastes like harissa and ingredients like preserved lemons. Ras el hanout is the perfect sounding board for the warmth of the harissa and the salty-tangy undertones of preserved lemons. The ginger in the spice blend is also an excellent match for turkey and chicken; add some to marinades, supplemented by acidic, bright ingredients for extra flavor depth.

Garam masala, on the other hand, fares well in Indian dishes. It has a more earthy flavor than ras el hanout, which is why it shines in homey dishes like biryani, all kinds of curries, butter chicken, and tikka masala. The flavors of the spice blend cascade into other spices, including diverse curry pastes, and can easily be enhanced by extra doses of its respective components — like coriander or cardamom — depending on the context of the recipe.