Seriously Upgrade Your Tuna Melt With A Dash Of Garam Masala

If you've got some canned tuna lying around, an easy way to use it up is to make a tuna melt. Tuna melts are a cross between a grilled cheese and a tuna salad sandwich. They're ooey-gooey and packed full of flavor thanks to the combination of salty tuna and a mild cheese that adds richness to your meal.

Speaking of flavor, you can enhance your tuna melt's taste with the addition of one simple ingredient: garam masala. If you're not familiar, this is a spice blend that's often found in recipes hailing from India. The blend includes a range of different spices, and not every blend is the same. However, a few typical inclusions are cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, and black pepper.

Now that you know what the blend consists of, it pays to fully understand why it works so well in a tuna melt sandwich. Plus, besides garam masala, there are a couple of other inclusions to consider adding to your meal.

The main reason why garam masala works so well in a tuna melt is that it can shine through the strong flavor of the tuna without either flavor eclipsing the other. It's not overpowered by the creamy dressing in the sandwich either, helping the taste of the garam masala shine through and add depth and dimension to your meal.

On top of that, garam masala includes spices that complement tuna well. For instance, one type of spice you'll sometimes find in garam masala includes ground fennel. Fennel's mild licorice flavor balances out the saltiness of your tuna salad. Another seasoning that complements tuna salad in the blend is ginger. Ginger adds a slight bite to your salad and is a bold flavor that doesn't get drowned out by tuna's meaty taste. If you use a homemade garam masala bend, you can control which spices are included and ensure you get exactly the flavors you want in your meal.

Finally, garam masala can complement this type of sandwich because it's typically a salt-free spice blend. The result is that you don't get an overly salty meal while still adding unique flavors and seasonings.

If you've already experimented with adding garam masala to your tuna melt, there are a couple of other spice blends that can work well, too. If you want a truly coastal-tasting meal, try adding Old Bay seasoning. This topping contains a number of different ingredients, including paprika, mustard powder, and red and black pepper. It tastes similar to cajun seasoning and can add a bit of spice to your tuna melt that brings the flavor to a new level.

Besides Old Bay, you can also try using steak seasoning. This spice is full of bold flavors that work well with the meaty taste of tuna. Strong, pungent flavors such as garlic and smoked paprika can give your sandwich a new feel.

Another option to try could be to make a Tex-Mex-style tuna melt and use taco seasoning or spices such as cumin and chili powder. You'll get a sandwich with a bit of fire that can really bring dimension to your meal. With all these spice blends to try adding to your tuna melt, there are plenty of ways to step up your game the next time you make one.