Biryani Masala

5 from 8 votes

Make authentic biryani with this aromatic and flavorful homemade biryani masala powder recipe. It takes just 10 minutes and a single recipe will yield enough to make biryani many times over.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Spice Mix

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: tablespoons (approximately)

Calories: 28kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Spice grinder or blender

Ingredients

¼ cup coriander seeds (dhania ke beej)
2 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 teaspoon shah jeera (caraway seeds)
2 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini)
10 cloves (laung)
¼ whole nutmeg (jaiphal)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns (kali mirch)
7 pods green cardamom pods (hari elaichi)
2 pods black cardamom pods (badi elaichi)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
2 star anise (chakra phool)
1 teaspoon dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)
2 dried red chili peppers (lal mirch)
1 tablespoon stone flower (dagad phool/patthar phool)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place all the ingredients on a dry skillet. Turn on heat to medium-low.
Roast the ingredients for about five minutes until they are very aromatic and the coriander seeds are a couple of shades darker. Remove the spices to a plate or bowl and let them cool to room temperature.
Place the spices in a blender or spice grinder and blend into a powder.

Notes

Ingredient notes

Caraway seeds or shah jeera: These tiny, black seeds resemble cumin in appearance but they are earthy, warm and nutty. They add authentic flavor to biryani. At a pinch, substitute with cumin seeds.

Stone flower or dagad phool: Stone flower is a woodsy lichen that releases a rich, smoky aroma when added to spice mixes. Like all ingredients in this recipe it can easily be sourced at an Indian store or online.

Dried pomegranate seeds or anardana: Pomegranate seeds add sweet, tart flavors to the biryani masala and balance out the spices.

Optional ingredients

You can add some sweetness to the biryani masala recipe by adding a couple of dried prunes to the blender when you powder the spices. This is not necessary but it adds more complexity and introduces a new flavor note for depth and balance.

Nutrition