The sole Biryani Masala Recipe you need in your spice cabinet. Ditch boxed spices with numerous unknown additives and create this beautifully fragrant homemade Biryani Masala Powder. Your quest to discover 'How to make Biryani Masala Powder' ends here.
Family Tradition: Homemade Biryani Masala
As a child in India, I never witnessed my mom using pre-made spice mixes like Biryani Masala or Garam Masala. Instead, she meticulously ground her own spices every month, and the lingering aroma from roasting them in her old Kadai remains vivid in my memory. For over 30 years, she relied on her trusty spice grinder to create these masalas that were adored by everyone.
Her Biryani Masala and Garam Masala were unparalleled, turning every meal into a delightful experience for family and friends. This recipe holds a special place in my heart as it evokes cherished memories of savoring her flavorful curries and biryani, all made with her homemade spice blend.
What is Biryani Masala?
Biryani masala makes Biryani so delicious! It's like an art to mix different spices just right for that amazing taste. Getting the amounts and flavors of each spice perfect is super important for the best Biryani masala recipe.
Even with different types of Biryani across South Asia, some key spices stay the same. Try mixing these spices to make your own special Biryani blend. It'll give your dish that real and tasty flavor.
Garam Masala for Tangy Biryani
Some parts of South Asia include amchur powder (dried mango powder) in their biryani masala blend for the tang, and others prefer to add Aloo Bukhara (dried prunes). Either way, South Asians love their biryani. They are very proud of their biryani heritage and refuse to hear anything negative about it.
What is in This Recipe
This is my family recipe. I have used 13 main whole spices to create this beautifully fragrant biryani masala blend. It can be used as garam masala for curries.
Adjust chili powder, turmeric, cumin-coriander, and salt according to your spice tolerance for biryani masala.
Dry Roasting Whole Spices
This recipe requires dry roasting the ingredients. Dry roasting the spices drives off the excess moisture and toasted spices are easier to grind into a fine powder consistency.
Dry roasting lengthens the shelf-life of powdered spices. Biryani Masala stays great for up to 6 months in an airtight container or a Jar.
Ingredients for Biryani Masala
My biryani masala blend includes fennel seeds, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, cloves, cinnamon, black peppers, bay leaves, nutmeg, mace flower, black cardamom, green cardamom, and whole coriander seeds.
The ingredients are easily available at any local South Asian grocery store. You may purchase the ingredients on Amazon if you like.
Bombay Biryani Blend
Exact measurements for Bombay Biryani Masala are included in the recipe card notes.
For Mild Bombay Biryani Masala:
- Biryani Masala
- Kashmiri Chili Powder
- Turmeric Powder
- Coriander Powder
- Cumin Powder
- Kasoori Methi dried Fenugreek
- Amchur Powder
- Fenugreek powder, optional
- Dried Prunes/Plums (Aloo Bukhara)
- Whole spices like cinnamon sticks, green & black cardamom, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, whole black pepper, cloves, mace, and star anise.
How to Use Biryani Masala
Biryani recipes to use this most fragrant Biryani Masala. You can also use this blend as a garam masala for meat curries.
- Easy Chicken Biryani
- Mutton Biryani
- Indian Chicken Curry Recipe
- Veg Dum Biryani
- Chicken and Potato Curry
- One-Pot Vegetable Spicy Rice
Tip: use 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon in a large pot of Meat Curry depending on your tolerance of spices. Go for less quantity if you are trying Biryani Masala for the first time. Increase the amount as needed.
Biryani Masala Recipe | Bombay Biryani Masala
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry roast Spice Blend
- 3 Tablespoons Whole Coriander Seed , Sabut Dhaniya
- 10 Black Cardamom , Badi Elaichi
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Black Pepper Corn , Sabut Kali Mirch
- ½ Tablespoon Whole Cloves , Sabut Laung
- ¼ cup Cinnamon Stick , DaalChini
- 2 Tablespoons Fennel Seed , Saunf
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Cumin Seed , Jeera
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Black Cumin Seed , Shahi Jeera
- 6-8 Star Anise , Badiya Phool
No-roast Spice Blend
- 1 Whole Nutmeg , Jayfal
- 2 Tablespoons Green Cardamom , Chhoti Elaichi
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Mace , Javantri
- 5-6 Bay Leaves , Tej Patta
Instructions
- Heat a wok or a skillet on medium heat.
- Add whole coriander, cumin seed, clack cumin seed, fennel seed, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, star anise, and black cardamom to the wok. Turn the heat down to low and dry roast the spices for 5 to 6 minutes while stirring continuously. Take the spices out in a bowl and set them aside to cool down.
- Grind nutmeg, green cardamom, and mace until a fine powder forms. Take the spice blend out in a bowl.
- Now grind all the roasted spices and bay leaves at once or in a batch until a fine powder forms.
- Add the roasted spice blend into the non-roasted spice blend and mix it until well combined.
- Transfer the Biryani masala in an airtight container or a jar. Store the Biryani Masala at room temperature in a pantry, away from any moisture.
Video
Notes
- 1 teaspoon My Biryani Masala
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Amchur Powder
- ½ teaspoon dried Fenugreek
- 6 to 8 Dried Prunes/Plums(Aloo Bhukara)
- Few whole spices of your choice like, cinnamon stick, green & black cardamom, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, whole black pepper, cloves, mace, and star anise.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is sourced from a third-party application and should be considered as approximate figures for reference purposes only.
Maryam says
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah!!
Jazakillahu khairan! Your recipes look amazing! MashaAllah!
I wondered if there's a substitute for the mace and nutmeg, since now there's more widespread awareness about them not being Halal.
Keep up the beautiful work! I love your website!!
BarikAllahu fiiki!!!
FeastwithSafiya says
Walaikum Assalam Wa rahmatullah, Jazakillah khair for your beautiful feedback. There are differing opinions on using mace and nutmeg. I choose to use only a small amount. Many South Asian and Middle Eastern spice blends incorporate just a hint of mace and nutmeg which is still halal to consume according to many scholars :). However, I would be happy to develop a recipe without either spice if you prefer. 🙂
fauzi says
can this be used for any type of biryani? I want to cook Sindhi biryani.
FeastwithSafiya says
Hi, yes, you can use it for any biryani. However, you'll have to adjust the quantity. You can use my Bombay Biryani masala blend recipe (in the notes) and add additional ingredients for Sindhi biryani masala, like sugar. It might take a few trials and failures to perfect the taste though. 🙂
Cory says
Are the 2 tablespoons of Green Cardamom and of 2 tablespoons Whole Mace measured after blending? I'm only asking because the Black Cardamom was measured whole for roasting.
FeastwithSafiya says
Hi Cory, all ingredients are measured as a whole. Two tablespoons each of whole mace and whole green cardamom pods. I hope this answers your questions. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Anonymous says
Amazing! Smells so nice