Simply put, masala refers to a blend of spices (and sometimes legumes, nuts and grains), where curry is a kind of cooked dish. Curry powder, sold in Western markets, is made from spices that are used for various masala recipes.  In India, there is no such thing as a ‘curry powder’. Curry is a generic term that refers to an Indian dish containing sauce, with key flavors coming from spices.  Curries will contain vegetables, meat or paneer.  The spice blends used to make curry dishes typically contain masala as an ingredient. Masala is a powdered or whole spice blend.  There are many varieties of masala blends in Indian cuisine, each with a unique flavor profile and different uses.  Some are used in cooking (such as tikka masala) where other are used as a garnish or condiment, added to a dish before serving, such as chaat masala.