Hindustani मसाला(masālā) / مسالا(masālā, “spice(s)”), from Persianمصالح(maṣālih, “affairs, materials, spices”), plural of مصلحت(maṣlahat, “affair, policy, best thing to do”), both from Arabic, derived from صَلَحَ(ṣalaḥa, “be fit, competent, usable”).